Day of rest

Daddy's techniques to get me to sleep seem to be paying off. I've been sleeping... like a baby while they took turns to do a bit of shopping. We also boiled the blackberries we had picked to make jam, yummee! We even had time to test the milk pump and put some milk in the freezer. Then, on the way to Abuelo & Abuela's for dinner (to pick up the car for tomorrow) we stopped by the post office to pick up some presents from the UK. I must say I've been a very lucky boy with loads of wonderful presents. My wardrobe, toys & music collection are expanding rapidly. At this rate I'll soon be on the property ladder soon!

Another bout of paperwork

A very productive morning - finished all the important paperwork we hadn't needed to bother with yet. Only one more thing left (have an appointment next month): passport & ID card. Then I can be a jet-setting baby.

Went to Mothercare this afternoon for a breast pump, & then for a sunny walk in the Retiro where we met up with a friend of Mummy & Daddy's who was over from Belgium.

Daddy is trying all kinds of techniques to get me to sleep properly. When I am put to bed and cry he picks me up and tries to burp me, then back to bed (I shouldn't get used to simply being picked up & held when I cry). When he puts me to bed he keeps holding me for a while, that way I gradually get used to not being in his arms.

Piticli

Partly as Mummy never got round to celebrating her birthday with the usual crowd, but mostly in my honour, today we had a little lunch party at home. Spent the morning finishing the cooking we started last night, and spent the afternoon eating it all.

Got me a nickname today as well - Piticli. It's a term of endearment for small pets, now famous all over Spain thanks to an Muchchada Nui sketch, in which Enjuto Mojamuto kills his pet canary by cuddling it too much. One of Mummy's friends did the exact same thing when she was younger, so when she picked me up to cuddle me everybody shouted "watch out Piticli!"

Lately I'm not getting much sleep. I've no idea what it is. Spent the first two weeks doing not much more than eating & sleeping, but now I spend quite a lot of my day awake. Maybe it's gasses, maybe my hectic lifestyle... We also had a go at modifying my cot so that I could start sleeping in it. We raised the mattress and put a couple of rolled-up towels each side so I don't feel so small. I think I like it.

Had a nice evening walk to settle down and to make up for spending the whole day yesterday at home.

More Fuengi crowd

As Mummy & Daddy were knackered from all the late nights I decided to have a good cry tonight to test their mettle. They seem to cope OKish under stress. Basically I have a lot of gasses and need to burp, and I can't do it without help.

The rest of the Fuengi crowd came visiting today before lunch. One of them is a paediatrician and he showed Mummy & Daddy a few tricks, especially in the burping department. After they left I cried for most of the day, just so they could practice their new skills.

Daddy made a fabada today so that Uncle & girlfriend could leave with a good taste of Spain in their mouth. After lunch they went out for one last walk and then went off to the airport to catch their flight. This evening more cooking, Mummy & Daddy are getting stuff ready for tomorrow's lunch party.

Day out in Collado Mediano

Uncle & girlfriend picked us up from home and we set off to the train station. My first train ride! Not much different to the tube to be honest. We were heading for Collado Mediano, where Tita, Tito & the girls live. Had a lovely lunch in the garden and then, as Tita had a breast pump, Mummy had a go on it and all the adults had a taste. They reported it as tasting like a sweet skimmed milk. After a bit of siesta we all went out to pick blackberries. We picked loads of them, and took them back home to make jam.

Back home it was the usual dinner party with a couple of other friends, another late night for Mummy & Daddy.

Day out with Uncle

Today was a much more productive day than yesterday. Met up with Uncle and girlfriend on Gran Vian and had a massive walk round town to show them around. Started off buying me some funky pijamas as I've already grown out of my first few. Then down to Sol, saw km 0, round to Plaza Mayor, la Latina, Palacio Real, had a lovely lunch in the Sabatini gardens, and then the adults stopped for a bit of lunch for themselves on the way to the Retiro (where I had another snack). Then off home, where one of Mummy's workmates dropped by, as did Abuelo & Abuela. Dinner for the adults supplied by the ever-improving cook Uncle.

Uncle arrives

No time for paperwork this morning as we were running late, and then Uncle arrived with his girlfriend. They are staying at a hostal down the end of Fuencarral. Went down to the square for a coffee and to open all my presents (lovely clothes!) and then a menu del dia lunch on Santa Engracia. Then a few bottles of wine were opened in my honour...

Visit from Fuengi crowd

Some of the Fuengi crowd came down for lunch today, and also Tita, Tito & Primita (Prima was at school). There are still quite a few of them that haven't seen me, but we are planning another lunch in Collado. I did a bit more regurgitating than usual, but it looks like a one-off. Still, it's high time I had a bath, by the time Mummy & Daddy remembered yesterday it was too late. We then had coffee down in the square, and a nice walk to Nuevos Ministerios with Tita & Primita. Then in the evening another walk down Hortaleza & up Fuencarral to pick up an important electrical and electronical device.

Mummy's work papers came in today, so tomorrow, before Uncle arrives from London, we may do a bit more paperwork.

Sleeping

My parents know (or hope) I am a very good boy. So far the only trouble I've given them was a bout of crying but it was (a) justifiable (gasses) and (b) their fault (eating should be done in private). But lately I have been pretty restless at night. So today we was a day of experimentation and we all came to the conclusion that I don't like my cot. Probably because I find it too big. So we have decided I'll stay in the pram at night until a solution has been found, probably involving pillows as padding.

Another bit of paperwork today. This time totally unimportant, only money. Mummy gets a 2500 Euro lump sum for me (and she gets to keep me!) as well as 100 each month as an extra tax return for 3 years as a working mom.

More visits

Will the visits never end! Am I really that cute!? Well, now we are at home all this social whirl is quite manageable. Some friends from Barcelona came over for breakfast and brought me a bunch of nappies (they work for a nappy company). Then we went to visit some more family in Pozuelo for lunch. One of those loooong Spanish lunches, we didn't get back until 8ish.