Category Archives: Saskia News

Enjoying a good book

So here it is, my much promised post about Saskia. Looking back the last time I wrote a Saskia post was in May – that time seems to have gone so quickly, and she has changed so much [insert other typical parent clichés here as you please].

Last time I wrote she had just cracked the art of crawling. Well she has now progressed to almost walking, via ‘bear walking’ (on hands and feet) and ‘cruising’ (standing upright but supporting herself against people, furniture, etc). Cruising was followed by unaided standing, and in the last week or so this has progressed to her first tentative steps. She is still a bit unstable with the walking, so crawling, bear walking and cruising are still the primary modes of travel – but she is getting more confident each day.

Being able to stand has brought a whole new realm of the house within her reach – bottom shelves, low tables, CD racks, etc. Posting things through the cat flap seems to be a favoured activity – usually potatoes and shoes. As you can see from the photo below, she also takes particular delight in removing my CDs from their nicely alphabetised by artist, and chronologically within artist, filing system (I am a fun person to be around, honest).

So we have had to do some child-proofing of the house – this has ranged from the traditional (stair gates) to the improvised (a wooden board strapped to the front one of my CD racks with car roofrack straps – it might not be pretty, but it certainly is effective!).

Wrecking Daddy’s nicely alphabetised CDs

That’s actually Marilyn Manson she is reaching for in the picture above – showing early signs of inheriting her Daddy’s good taste (must keep her away from Mummy’s horrendous Adele and Amy Winehouse CDs in case she gets indoctrinated into the world of rubbish music).

On the subject of music, she has begun to show off her dancing skills. She has a little ride-on car, which plays various tunes when you press the buttons on the dashboard (kiddy tunes, not Marilyn Manson). She likes to stand next to the car, press one of the buttons to start a tune, and then ‘dance’ next to it. Her dancing mainly involves shaking her hips back and forth, and smiling gleefully at anyone nearby.

It’s very cute to watch, and fascinating that she seems to have this inbuilt desire to dance when she hears music. As far as we can tell she’s not learnt this from anyone else (her Daddy isn’t much of a dancer, and we haven’t taken her clubbing yet), which suggests it’s an innate characteristic present from birth. Interesting, in terms of nature and nurture.

On the swings at the park

Moving on, she has also become a regular at the local play park – we’re very lucky to have the recreation ground right behind our house, so there are plenty of opportunities for park trips. She is a brave little thing, and will go off of her own accord, crawling or cruising round the park, interacting with the various park ‘furniture’, and watching the other children. Whilst still a bit small for most of the activities, she particularly enjoys the swings and the slide.

We recently had an afternoon out at Whitstable Castle, which has a great play park – including a ‘big’ slide which she very much enjoyed throwing herself down. Sally would sit her at the top and she soon got the idea of shuffling herself off to launch her descent – while I knelt at the bottom, repeatedly messing up trying to focus the camera on a fast moving baby (you can see my best effort below).

Wheeeee!!

She has also recently started using her first word – that being ‘uh-oh’. This seems to translate into grown up as ‘oh dear, I appear to have dropped s0mething’, as an item of food or her water bottle goes over the side of the high chair. When at her very cutest she says it with pursed lips, while looking back and forth between you and the dropped item.

However, ‘uh-oh’ seems to be a very versatile phrase, able to be used preemptively as well as after the event – translated into grown up as ‘oh dear, I am about to drop something’. It’s highly amusing to watch her look at you, say ‘uh-oh’, drop something, then look at you as if it were an accident. She’s going to need to work on her timing a bit if she expects us to believe it was unintentional!

Sharing the driving on the way back from the Lake District

She still goes swimming, although we take her to the local pool these days for ‘freestyle’ swimming, rather than the structured class at Whitstable that we used to go to. We found that she wasn’t really enjoying the Whitstable class – it consisted of a number of activities, two of which involved being dunked under the water, which always seemed to upset her. I understand the logic behind getting the babies acclimatised to water, but I’m not sure they need to be dunked under at six months old to achieve that. I have always been confident in the pool or the sea, but wasn’t dunked under the water as a baby (back in my day… grumble, moan, grumble, etc).

Eventually, as she got more aware, she seemed to enjoy the whole class less and less. So we decided to just take her to our local pool instead, and she seems to have a much better time. She is able to do things at her own pace, seems much more confident, and enjoys it a lot more.

Teaching her Aunty the finer points of boating in the Lake District

She has been busy growing teeth over the last few months – now sporting six fine examples of… ermmm… teeth. So as not to spoil her good looks she has so far managed to grow her teeth entirely symmetrically – she has the middle two at the bottom, and the middle four up top.

As of a couple of months ago she has also been attending nursery. She started going one day a week, but we recently changed this to two half days. There were some settling in issues initially, but these seem to have been overcome in the last few weeks – the switch to half days has possibly helped with this. She now seems to really enjoy her nursery days, and is bonding well with the nursery staff and other babies.

Sally has become mildly obsessed with vicariously trying to live her own dreams of becoming an artist through Saskia, buying her pencils, felt-tips, paints, and play-doh. Progress has been somewhat limited, with Saskia yet to fully appreciate the difference between the two ends of a pencil / felt tip. Her best work so far has either been on her own face, tongue and clothing, or on the spare bedroom wall.

Some of the observant amongst you might have noticed that she has short hair in some of her photos. Unfortunately we recently had to cut all her hair off, as she had developed a habit of pulling her own hair out and eating it. It actually started with the cat’s hair, then Daddy’s chest hair, and a fluffy cushion, before moving on to her own hair. Before long she had plucked the top of her head to the point of almost being completely bald.

We really didn’t want to cut off her lovely blonde curls, so tried everything else we could think of; hats (which she took off); swim caps (which she also took off); a stern ‘no’ (which was either too late or ignored); giving her other things to divert her attention (which she ignored or lost interest in).

So eventually we admitted defeat, and decided that the only way to break the habit was to cut her hair off. So far she seems to have stopped reaching for her own head – but will still go for the cat, cushion, or Mummy and Daddy’s chest or arm hair (for clarification, ‘chest hair’ refers to Ben only, not Sally). I guess we will keep her hair short for a while, until we think the habit is broken.

As it is we have got used to her without her hair, and still think she looks gorgeous (but we’re her parents, we would think that!). You can make your minds up from the photo below.

Saskia finds treasure at Whitstable Castle

Finally, saving the most important news until last, I would like to congratulate Saskia on completing her first full orbit of the sun – or in other words, becoming one year old on 26th August! She had a great day on her birthday, with a meal / little party with family at our local pub, followed by a trip to the park to show off her swing and slide skills. She was on top form all day, and really seemed to have a ball, which was great to see. She particularly enjoyed playing with her older cousins, Molly and Robin.

I have included a few photos from her special day below…

… enjoying her birthday lunch at The Phoenix pub…

… time to unwrap some presents…

… blowing out the candle on her birthday cake…

… with cousins Molly and Robin (and an attention seeking fluffy dog)…

… more present unwrapping back at home…

… and finally, playing with her birthday balloon.

'Saskia Two Teeth'

As promised then, I thought I’d update you on Saskia’s latest news, and share a few more photos.

So as the title of this post suggests, it turns out that while we thought she was just growing one tooth, she was secretly growing a second ‘stealth tooth’. Only a few days after the first appeared, we noticed another one in there, quietly sat alongside. Clearly now she has started, she is keen to get going.

Of course, being the proud owner of teeth also comes with immense responsibility – namely, teeth brushing. We were relieved to discover that this is an activity she actually seems to quite enjoy (I wonder if the same can be said for the cat? I am yet to take the vet’s advice and attempt to brush his teeth, mainly because I anticipate losing a significant amount of my own blood).

Saskia continues on her intrepid journey into food exploration, broadening further her culinary horizons. We are still yet to discover anything that she won’t actually eat, although we suspect that she might not be that keen on egg (Daddy says just wait until you try your first scotch egg… mmmm… scotch egg…). Spaghetti carbonara was a recent highlight, in terms of taste for her, and comedy value for us.

'The Spaghetti Incident?'

Beyond teeth, her other big news is that in the last week or so she has mastered the art of sitting upright unaided. She has always been quite physical, chucking herself around left, right and centre, which never really lent itself to sitting – but she now seems to have got the hang of it. We think maybe being in disposable nappies for a few days might have made a difference, giving her a more stable ‘platform’ (or to put it another way, ‘arse’) – as opposed to the round and bulky reusables she normally wears.

This new found skill has opened up exciting new interactions with us, her toys and her surroundings – which has been fascinating to watch.

Sitting pretty

She is still agonisingly close to crawling, but not quite there yet. She continues to get on her hands and knees, or hands and feet, and rocks back and forth – clearly raring to go. We don’t think it will be long before she makes that final connection, and we have to make an emergency dash to Mothercare to buy stair gates.

Despite not quite crawling she is still fairly mobile – place her in the middle of the room, on her playmat with lots of toys, walk away for two minutes, and when you come back there is a strong chance you will find her on the doormat in the corner of the room chewing a shoe.

"Hi, Oncology? I need to talk about my Daddy..."

She has also been making good progress at her weekly swimming class. She will now hold on to the ‘noodles’ (long cylindrical floats), with one under each arm, and float all by herself, without being held by an adult. Most weeks I go along to swimming and watch, although I missed it this time – hopefully next week I will go.

Right, that’s about it for now, other than to reiterate what I said in my first ‘Saskia’ post – which is that while I dearly wish the circumstances were different, I am thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to spend so much time with her and Sally as a family. Seeing her grow and develop is such an amazing experience, and she contributes no end to keeping me positive and in good spirits each day.

One more photo for you (followed by a postscript)…

Saskia with Daddy

P.S. A few posts ago I mentioned Sally’s phone was broken – she now has a replacement (similar to Saskia’s model in the picture above actually – it has wheels and Sally pulls it around by a piece of red string). So she is now fully contactable again via her usual mobile number.

…or to be more specific, ‘tooth’.

That’s right – a bit of an interlude in all the cancer news now, to let you all know the somewhat happier news that yesterday we saw the appearance of Saskia’s first tooth.

I say ‘happier news’, but Saskia herself doesn’t seem to be all that pleased about it. She has been a bit out of sorts the past few days or so – having trouble sleeping, and showing some of the symptoms of teething – so we had an idea it was coming. It was nice to see it finally appear, to know we had been going down the right direction with all the teething powders, etc.

I did try to point out to her that she was making a bit of a big deal about it, and that in the grand scheme of relative problems, cutting a tooth wasn’t all that bad – but she was having none of it.

I don’t have a tooth photo to show you I’m afraid, as it’s hard enough to get her to keep still long enough to see it with the naked eye, let alone to get a photo. So in the absence of that, here’s a photo from a couple of weeks ago for your viewing pleasure…

High five!

Looking cute

So this post is going to be mainly about Saskia, for two reasons:

Firstly I know many people will be wondering how she is getting on – there are family and friends from far and wide who haven’t seen her for a long time, or in some cases are yet to meet her. So this blog seems like the perfect opportunity to share some of her news and a few photos.

And secondly, I don’t really have much news myself. Since my last post any noticeable chemo side effects have gone, leaving only my back to worry about. Even that has improved since the weekend – although I still have to rest it and avoid standing for long periods. Walking is ok, and sitting can be ok, depending upon the position. The problem is mainly standing still – I had to do a little hopping-from-foot-to-foot dance while standing in the queue at the pharmacy the other day. I made sure I pulled lots of grimacing faces, so that people knew I was in some kind of pain, and not just mental. Maybe they just thought I was desperate for the toilet.

So, back to Saskia then – well, she seems to have come on so much in the last month or so, she is developing so quickly. Whether her development has accelerated, or if it just seems like that to me as I have been spending more time with her, I don’t know. Either way, I do know that it has been lovely to have the opportunity to spend this time and bond with her (despite the circumstances).

Rolling in the park

Probably her biggest and funnest news is that just over a month ago she started ‘baby led weaning’. For those unfamiliar with this concept it basically eschews the traditional idea of purees, liquidising food, and spoon feeding your baby. Instead you put normal food in front of them, and let them discover the food and feed themselves. She still has breast or formula milk in addition to the solid food, so if she doesn’t fill up on solids it’s not the end of the world – at this early stage it’s as much about exploring and learning about food as it is about eating.

Obviously the food has to be healthy (no cheeseburgers!), and if necessary cut or crushed to avoid choking (grapes are either squashed or cut into quarters for example). But usually we find she can have all or at least some of what we are having, even if we are eating out.

“What’s that Saskia? You want Daddy’s side salad – oh ok then, Daddy will just have to make do with just the burger and chips. But I hope you appreciate it – Daddy was looking forward to that side salad most of all”.

Saskia - big fan of food (in this case cauliflower cheese and potato)

In just over a month she has racked up an impressive list of foods – at last count we think at least seventeen different types of vegetable; at least fifteen different types of fruit; chicken, roast beef, cod, bread and toast with various toppings, porridge, boiled and scrambled eggs, omelette, yoghurt, cheese, shepherds pie, risotto, pitta bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and probably much more that I have forgotten.

Watching her try all these foods has been a lot of fun (and very messy) – she seems game for anything. Sometimes the first taste of a new food brings the funniest faces (see the ‘Saskia vs Broccoli’ picture below), but she never gives up – she goes straight back for more, and is yet to reject anything we have given her. She seems to have inherited her Mummy’s diverse taste in food, combined with her Daddy’s ability to shovel in vast quantities (not sure the latter is a good thing!).

Saskia vs Broccoli

This baby led weaning has also had several positive side effects, both for Saskia and for us:

Firstly, because we are now sharing our meals with Saskia, we are eating a lot more healthily ourselves. Sally has always been quite a healthy cook anyway, but with Saskia now sharing in our meals it has added an extra incentive. Which all coincides neatly with my need for a healthy, balanced diet, given my current situation (which has led to what Sally has termed ‘Daddy led weaning’ – where she puts a pile of fruit in front of me, and watches as I discover the food and feed myself – no photos to show I’m afraid).

Secondly, it keeps Saskia occupied while we eat our meals. Last Sunday we managed a full three course Sunday lunch in a pub, while she sat in a high chair happily making her way through a pile of vegetables.

And finally, the act of feeding herself, having to pick up the food and move it to her mouth, seems to have enhanced her development of hand eye coordination and fine motor skills (although you might not believe that when you look at the picture below!).

Saskia vs Porridge

Away from the dining table she has also been practising these skills – everything that comes within reach now needs to be grabbed, tasted, shaken violently, and then banged against anything and everything nearby. All as urgently as possible, before moving on to the next thing to come within range, and repeating the process.

Over the last month or two she has become far more responsive and proactive, observing and interacting with her surroundings. Changing her and getting her dressed is now more akin to wrestling, as she wriggles, rolls over, and attempts to launch herself off the changing table. Bath time is no longer a case of washing her as she passively lies there – it’s now a job just to keep her in the bath, as she tries her level best to escape, along with drinking the water, splashing around violently, playing with her bath toys (usually violently), etc.

Bath time is fun time!

She has also found her voice, and very much likes the sound of it – talking to herself, other people, her toys, etc. She has unfortunately inherited her Mum’s trait for occasional, inappropriate, excessive volume.

Mobility-wise, her main mode of travel is rolling sideways, although she is very close to crawling. She can get up on all fours – sometimes on her knees, and other times just her hands and feet (as if she were doing press ups). Once up on her knees she rocks herself forwards and backwards, but is yet to grasp the idea of putting one knee in front of the other. We don’t think it will be long though before she gets it, and we find her across the room eating out of the cat bowl.

So there you go, that’s most of her news for now. All in all, she is a good natured and contented little thing. Sure, she has her moments like any baby – but generally she gives us very few problems, and brings us an awful lot of laughs, so we consider ourselves very lucky (although I prefer to put it down to awesome parenting!).

Right… well if you made it this far through all the ‘doting Daddy’ writings then well done, and thanks for reading! Just one last photo for you…

Saskia and Mummy watching footballers in the park