– 4:26 pm
Your mother and I (but mostly your mother) have been trying to figure out what is causing your eczema outbreak. It’s on your back, spots on your arms and now under your left eye. Your mother bought this Eucerin cream which seems to be keeping the eczema – we think it’s eczema – in check. Liza bumped into Tom, Kim‘s partner, who thinks it could be an allergic reaction to milk (which you currently pronounce as mik). Her Google search presents a very plausible case. You scratch your head so hard at night it’s a miracle there’s still skin under your hair. But that could well be something else though. We’re guessing in case you haven’t noticed.
So we’ve stopped giving you dairy, as of Sunday just gone. We’d recently started giving you goat’s milk as you seemed to prefer it. That’s stopped. No Greek yoghurt for you either. We’re going to trial it for a week and see where we are as far as skin irritations. There’s already been some upside though. You’ve been sleeping a lot better. And that’s a major win. I had you last night and you slept almost all the way through. Your grandad has had a similar experience. We’ll hear what Liza says tomorrow morning.
Small update on Nurseries… We visited another one on Saturday. The N Family Club. I didn’t know it was a chain. They just opened a new branch a bus ride away. (You need a few trains to get to Parson’s House.) The former is new and looks new. They’ve leveraged experience (from their other facilities I imagine) to create a hub for children that seems to address every worry we might have, and then some.
It has tall windows with beams and beams of light flooding in, food with no salt (good luck with that), and toys that look a lot like the Montessori ones you have at home. They seem more “development and education” inclined. You are also not confined to a single room. You can float between them. And they are sizeable. Running won’t be a problem. Their garden and outdoor spaces are also impressive. The baby toilets take the biggest prize though. You have mini sinks, toilets and hand dryers, all dumbed down to your height. Very cool, very unique. Bravo!
But these aren’t the reasons it’s my preferred choice though. I didn’t pay too much attention to the tour guide. My test was a lot simpler. I just observed your behaviour and demeanour when you walked into the rooms. I tried to read how you felt. You seemed very comfortable and naturally gravitated towards objects with a lot less caution. Strangely, you also didn’t mind getting spoken to (which typically freezes you still and analytical of the person talking). You even went as far as talking in the presence of strangers, roaring at the animals and pointing out pandas. That’s an extreme rarity. So I think we’ll go with this one, for now at least.
I’ve also been meaning to tell you. Your uncle Junior had a kid, Ethan. He inherited your pram which we forgot in America. When you guys get older, you can tell him he slept in your bed when he was little. That’s an icebreaker right there. It’s the kinda exaggerated shit old African men say to each other to express elderliness. I think about what it was like when you were born and know both parents are still getting to grips with what’s going on. We’re trying to support them (from a distance) as best we can. If you don’t remember – duh! Of course, you don’t – Priscilla is the one who calls you Lianito.
Let’s seeee… What else is happening? Ah! Yesterday you fell from the bench at the dining table. It’s been coming. I’m surprised you didn’t break or crack something. I wonder if this is lesson number two. Lesson number one has changed how you move around the edges (of the same table). You banged your head on one of them the last time and I think that changed you for the better. It’s funny seeing you duck (while still running) when going past. So we’ll see if you are going to carry on moonwalking on the table bench. We’ll see.
Last month (or the one before), we took you to the Balloon Museum. You enjoyed most of it but by the end, the techno got a bit loud and you were just spent for energy. We didn’t even complete it. I think you would’ve gotten more out of it if you were a bit older. Too soon this one.
Another thing. Remember I said I was thinking about telling Manu about the existence of this site? Well, I spoke to him on Sunday evening. Now he knows. Someone in the family knows. I think it’s the right thing to do. What I write cannot be influenced by him. He’s close enough and also far removed, which makes him perfect. Also, he’s the keeper of such matters. It’s only fitting he keeps this as well.