The Dower Family

"Mummy, where was I when you and daddy got married?" "Mummy, why can't Evie talk?" "Mummy, why is the sky blue?" "Mummy, why is Evie called Evie?" "Mummy, why is the moon following us?" "Mummy, why are fish fish?" These are the kind of questions that Ollie is spouting practically constantly throughout the day now.  Some are easy to answer.  Some are a little more challenging.  Some, well I find myself absolutely stumped with them.  And then, just when you think you've come up with a great answer that will surely satisfy his thirst for knowledge he just comes out with the same question again.  Not phrased differently.  THE EXACT SAME QUESTION!!!! Now don't get me wrong.  I love feeding his desire to learn.  But this is pretty much constant and it is a real brain drain sometimes.  This kid just doesn't stop talking (I can't possibly imagine where that came from!).  Sometimes I even have to ...

Well it seems like these two little terrors may have read last week's blog as there does seem to be an improvement in sleep around here of late.  In Evie's case it is a 50% improvement.  I can say this with certainty because she has created a solid pattern of alternating one great night sleep with one broken one the following night.  It is like clockwork.  Or like calendar-work more like it. Apart from the sleep issues, Evie has been an absolute treat lately.  She seems to have received a real injection of personality in the last week and has a few new tricks.  The best one is waving "bye".  It is a really crazy wide wave but she means to do it and the look on her face when you say it back to her is priceless.  She is just so thrilled that we understand what she is communicating.  She is also starting to do "high fives".  Again, wild and crazy in their execution but she just cracks up with laughter when you do it.  The only ...

Dear Ollie & Evie Your father and I love you very much.  In fact you are the most wonderful amazing things in this entire world to us.  There is nothing that we wouldn't do for you.  BUT, the shenanigans of late have got to stop. Sure there might be good reasons for this carry on of late, with what Daddy calls the "perfect storm" of Evie's three big teeth coming through at once and a lovely round of unshakeable colds for everyone, but enough is enough. Evie, my sweet darling little girl.  You are the most precious little girl I have ever seen.  But that doesn't mean I want to spend every night sleeping beside your cot patting and shooshing you back to sleep for the umpteenth time.  Ditto on sleeping in the nursing chair with you on my chest.  Sure it might sound delightful to have nightly snuggles but the reality is far less romantic with you dripping your snot all over me and wriggling all over me in your quest for chair dominance. ...