Of marmosets and invasions

Things almost back to normal, but for me not working...and i could get used to this! Made Oisin's usual pancakes this morning and Peter took off to work - his first day in the new job at Queens. It turns out that the university was closed, but i think he was glad to get back after two weeks of a 'holiday' in Donegal. Both father and son returned on New Year's Day at nine pm, just in time for Life of Brian, with the two fish who seem to be far better travellers than the cats ever were. We had bangers and mash for dinner while watching Life. The film was as hilarious as ever, although Oisin didn't get most of the jokes. However he did ask us what crucifixion was, a question which we both sidestepped elegantly by coughing and looking in other directions. It's a bit dishonest, but we couldn't tell a five year old that a significant number of people believed that this man was nailed to a cross and then left to die on their behalf because they had been sinful simply by being born. Most distressing, especially after we had just celebrated his 2,006th birthday.

Jacq sent pictures of Aurelia and since she hasn't put them up on the net yet, i shall. Here she is.

Isn't she the sweetest looking marmoset? She looks EXACTLY like Oisin when he was her age. I don't have pictures of him on this computer, but i can assure you there's very little to choose between the two of them.

Maybe Oisin looked more like his kong kong... here he is with his kong kong and mama, whom he doesn't look at all like at all now, of course. He looks like his daddy.

Today was spent getting the last items for the birthing kit. The shops were crammed with people - you'd think they were giving the stuff away. It was as if the universe knew that i hadn't Christmas shopped in a retail park this year and thoughtfully believed that i should have the pleasure of the experience. It's absolutely fascinating shopping for a home birth. Plastic sheeting for the bed (out of B&Q) and a birthing ball (from Boots). All of Belfast seems to have run out of tealights (including dekko). They are reordering.

I have invited six wonderful women to help out as well. With the two midwives, it will make for a house full of women. Over the next few days i'll be talking in detail about the birth plan to all of them. Of course you can plan, but when the actual thing takes place... for instance, Peter has agreed to do some music for the baby's arrival, however, the last time i had hoped to play humpback whale sounds and that certainly didn't happen. In fact when Peter suggested it, i was in the throes of transition and i nearly throttled him. Did i look like i wanted to hear some bloody whale squwak? To minimise this risk, we have agreed to play the music AFTER the baby's born. After all i can barely parallel park with the car radio on, nevermind give birth.

The clearing out continues apace and i have managed to sort most of the shelves in the study. With clothes for the baby bought, nappies ordered and the birthing kit mostly there, i feel far more prepared than the last time, when i left work two weeks before giving birth and didn't even get organised enough to top the car up with petrol. Jacq always regales me with the time we were stalled on the road between Muff and Quigley's Point because i couldn't be arsed to call into a garage. Miraculously i had about two inches of petrol left in a jerry can in the boot of the car. There i was full term, pouring out capfuls of petrol into the tank, praying that a) the tank hadn't airlocked and b) it would be enough to take us to the gas station down the road. Compared to where i was five years ago, i'm ready to invade Iran, which is more than i can say for the people who really do want to invade it.