We have a little problem...

...Owain loves the mall.

Most of you know how I feel about the mall. I'd pretty much rather have my eyelids tattooed than go to the mall. I'm allergic. But you know what they say about desperate times and desperate measures. Our little peanut is cutting some MAJOR teeth and it's like sometimes the teething fairy comes in the night and replaces our grinning, gurgling child (see above) with Crabby Carl. The daily activities which once brought Mr. Smiley so much joy are looked upon with utter disdain by Crabby Carl. Whereas Mr. Smiley actually enjoyed getting seriously bundled up for our winter walks, Carl vociferously disapproves until he gripes himself to sleep once walking. Mr. Smiley's sweet-ass running man moves in the Johnny-Jump-Up have been replaced by Carl's ubiquitous whining and shrieking. Mr. Smiley's nice long 4 - 5 hour stretches of sleep at night? Now usurped by Carl's much more militaristic wake up calls coming every hour on the hour.

So what are two dead-on-their-feet parents to do in single-degree temperatures and biting winds but swallow their pride, get off their very high anti-consumerism horses and take their son to the mall? Yes, friends, that is what we did yesterday. That's just what it came to. And with heavy heart I must report that it was a raging success. Owain was captivated by the people, the lights, the costume jewelry, the fake Santas, the dinging of the cash registers - you name it. He even took a very nice nap in the sling. I think he's going to be applying for a job at the Gap - they are hiring temporary holiday help, you know. Worse still, if I'm going to be totally honest with you, I have to admit that even I enjoyed it just a little bit. But I'm not going to talk about it anymore. What's done is done.

Parenting is the most roller-coastery thing I've ever experienced. What a ball of paradoxes - I'm never sure how it is that I can be so much better at it and so much worse at it than I imagined. It's simultaneously the biggest ego booster and ego buster there is. To quote the army (!): it's the toughest job I've ever loved. And at the center of it is this little phenomenon - this little PERSON who Jay and I made, who is different every day. Crazy, I tell you! Besides his thing for shopping, Owain is now enjoying making faces at the baby in the mirror, grabbing at toys, wearing 9 month clothes, laughing hard, chewing anything he can get his hands on, splashing all the water out of the tub, and sporting some serious cottage cheese thighs. He loves music, and grins when I sing to him before bed and when Jay plays his horn. He's had his first accident, courtesy of moi: falling out of the Johnny-Jump-Up (it was a very slow-motion type of thing - a gentle slump more than a fall - he's OKAY! I am still getting over it though). He gets bored easily. He loves outings and road trips. He's a character!

Love and a warm sit on Santa's lap to all,

Charis