Thursday, August 12, 2004
two days ago getting my "card" printed paid off - I got an email from someone at the hospital mothers' group, inviting me to what she calls a "splinter group" of Australian (mostly) mums with babies aged 3 months to 9 months - A is 9 months today, and among the oldest there. so today we got in a cab and went over and it was fantastic, especially compared to the uncomfortable time I had at the US group.
of course it's a cultural bias, but even this well-heeled mob (sometimes I still wonder what I'm doing as a painted-toenailed, non-working, husband-discussing expat wife) were so much more down to earth, tolerant and amusing. even better, they're doing it again next week. A. had fun, I managed to get him to nap a little and we were still home for lunch and a 2pm nap. perfect. the highlight of the chat was the discovery that ob/gyn worship is indeed a common phenomenon, even if the ob/gyn in question is a fat, ageing Chinese guy. I wonder if anyone's ever investigated the psychology of that? there was also some how-I-met-my-dh discussion and I felt a bit wistful that in fact I met mine online, not in some romantic international revelation that a good friend was really my soulmate. ah well.
the day's final discovery was that A. really needs more toys to keep up with the other babies. sure, their lounge room was the size of this whole apt, but even so, his pile of rattles and blocks is nothing compared to the playgroup-worthy collection on offer today. if I ever host it, we might have to do it in shifts.
just before we left here to go to the playdate, I did something awful to my back, involving shooting pains and cramps and an inability to bend. of course I strapped him on and got in the cab anyway (yes, we've abandoned the baby seat and are using the Baby Bjorn). and it occurred to me later that Will Self may have got something else right - the ability of a self-centred woman in pain (in the book, wanting heroin) to ignore a baby. I thought I couldn't understand addicts' neglect of helpless babies. but for the few minutes when it first hit, I really wasn't hearing A. cry (he was only sooking, not starving to death, it's true, but again, a glimpse.)
of course it's a cultural bias, but even this well-heeled mob (sometimes I still wonder what I'm doing as a painted-toenailed, non-working, husband-discussing expat wife) were so much more down to earth, tolerant and amusing. even better, they're doing it again next week. A. had fun, I managed to get him to nap a little and we were still home for lunch and a 2pm nap. perfect. the highlight of the chat was the discovery that ob/gyn worship is indeed a common phenomenon, even if the ob/gyn in question is a fat, ageing Chinese guy. I wonder if anyone's ever investigated the psychology of that? there was also some how-I-met-my-dh discussion and I felt a bit wistful that in fact I met mine online, not in some romantic international revelation that a good friend was really my soulmate. ah well.
the day's final discovery was that A. really needs more toys to keep up with the other babies. sure, their lounge room was the size of this whole apt, but even so, his pile of rattles and blocks is nothing compared to the playgroup-worthy collection on offer today. if I ever host it, we might have to do it in shifts.
just before we left here to go to the playdate, I did something awful to my back, involving shooting pains and cramps and an inability to bend. of course I strapped him on and got in the cab anyway (yes, we've abandoned the baby seat and are using the Baby Bjorn). and it occurred to me later that Will Self may have got something else right - the ability of a self-centred woman in pain (in the book, wanting heroin) to ignore a baby. I thought I couldn't understand addicts' neglect of helpless babies. but for the few minutes when it first hit, I really wasn't hearing A. cry (he was only sooking, not starving to death, it's true, but again, a glimpse.)
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