this morning, I decided that we weren't going to have a repeat of yesterday, resulting in Harry's lack of sleep and mine too.

so, after I had tried putting him back in his crib to sleep with no success, I got dressed, took him downstairs and put him straight in the pram.

we then went out for a walk to town (the only way he will go to sleep during the day, now) which had some level of success with regards to my plan (to walk to get me an over-sized mug of coffee and hope that he would stay asleep long enough for me to read some of my book). Ten minutes after I sat down, he woke up, pouted, had some minski and sat on my knee where we both watched the world go by. We then walked home and he fell asleep very soundly.

so, I thought I would be sneaky and wheel him through the house quietly, through to the back garden, where he could be out in the fresh air and continue to sleep whilst I got on with various things. Two minutes of it and then awakeness prevailed. I don't know what's wrong with him at the moment but, even if he is in the deepest sleep, he will wake up the minute something changes, even if it is the smallest change imaginable. Anyway, I wheeled him up and down the garden and he fell asleep again, only to wake up very randomly, so I gave up.

later in the afternoon, he howled a lot after feeding and just as I was about to take him out again, fell asleep on my shoulder - from trauma to instant calm in three seconds - always amazes me - and there he stayed for the next hour or so, snoozing away whilst I finally got to finish the last installment of The Deathly Hallows.

I must say, I know this book was written primarily for children but it did have some rather adult themes and words in it, for that matter, and as tragic as it may sound, I felt really sad when I had finished reading it and now can't find anything else I want to read and there are a stack of untouched books on my shelves, waiting for my attention...

so, another day passes and I become more and more confused about how to parent. But also more aware that I am getting to know my boy more and more by the day, knowing more about him and his ways than I sometimes realise, or indeed give myself credit for, preferring to beat myself up if he so much as frowns when it's a particularly bad day.

I read recently that a baby goes through approximately one hundred different sleep patterns in their first year. This helps me to feel a tiny bit better when the thing that worked yesterday no longer works anymore, but will work again in the future on any given day and of course, when you least expect it. Does that make any sense?

this weekend began on friday with granddad looking after the HarryMoose whilst I finally went to see the new Harry (Potter - bubba doesn't have a film out at the moment. At least I don't think he has) film, before my friends and I went to get the new book at stupid o'clock! Don't know why I had thought this was a good idea, being up so late, but I thoroughly enjoyed my evening and it was so lovely to see all the kids dressed up in their magical gubbins and I got given a jelly bean that tasted of gravel - that was certainly suffin' a little different! And no, I have NOT (and would never!) named my child after my ridiculous love of these books; it was my great grandfather's name. Honest.

I, very fantastically, received a message from a friend early on saturday morning, asking if I would like her to 'borrow' Harry for a couple of hours so I could get some sleep, which was lovely. However, instead of sleep, I decided to run around for several hours, doing housework and the like, as some friends were coming to stay for the night. I did get to have ten extra minutes in the bath though which was very nice :). When I went to pick him up, he was completely asleep and did not wake up for about 45 minutes. He wasn't bothered at all about me not being there and had snuggled himself under the blanket, snuffling away...

...so we went home where I got to read a bit of the book whilst he snoozed in the garden until Cat, her boyfriend and another friend arrived. I haven't seen her for a couple of years so it was really lovely to spend some time with her, albeit incredibly short (we're hoping we can persuade her to come again and SOON). She bought Harry a fabulous present for his pram as she wanted to get him something. Although his pram is rather fabulous, it is hard to get things to attach to it as it doesn't have a bar across it like most, so this was a really good idea. He has already been batting at it and staring it into submission!

we had a quiet evening in with a take-away and film and maybe a glass or two of wine. Harry had at least three. Hic.

after they had left this morning, we took a walk into town in the gorgeous and much prayed for sunshine. All that distance just to go to a supermarket! Shopping is never fun as I can't carry a basket or a trolley if I have the pram, so I have to precariously balance items on the pram, under my arm or forced in my hands, hoping that gravity doesn't take over...sometimes it does. Obviously, the moose couldn't wait to get home to be fed so we sat on a bench amongst the throng of people and saw one of my work colleagues. It made me realise that it's not long 'til I go back to work...whilst I am looking forward to it in some ways, I really will miss my beautiful son and will hate missing his little ways, let alone his milestones which he is bound to reach when I am not there, knowing him! But, needs must and all that.

so, a lovely weekend was had by all and now, some of us are snoozing and others wishing that they could!

Donna (a friend I have known since I was very young indeed!) has just pointed me in the direction of this fabulous book:-

"Mooses look into your window at night

They look to the left and they look to the right

The mooses are smiling, they think it's a zoo

And that's why the mooses like looking at you."

so, maybe that explains why Harry's eyes are constantly flitting around the room, taking everything in. I tell you what, these book things may just catch on!