There's a light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

Well, we have been doing all sorts of exercises since I last spoke with you all, both mental and physical too. The latter is rather difficult as space in here is getting really rather tight, I can stretch out one leg (that's what those lower extremities are called I have discovered from the manual as opposed to the upper appendages being called 'arms') or an arm, but that is all unlike moving them at all at the same time.

But the mental exercises are much more interesting. Mummy and Dad are continuing there Hypno-birthing techniques and now after talking about rainbows and how nice the whole process is going to be, most nights we manage to fall asleep, even though I am usually wide awake at this time and getting ready to explore and have another session with the manual

But just the other day there was an unusual happening - well most things are still unusual as it is still all very new, but this was newer than most. A lot of people came to our home, all of which I had sensed before, but not all together as they were this time. We had Oma and Grandpa John, Baba and Nonna, Giovanna, Robert and Sue (his wife), Clelia (who keeps making things and giving money for me), as well as Mummy and Daddy. Oh there were two small furry people called Nellie & Jed who are much smaller than the others and walk on all four appendages at the same time. As they arrived I sensed that they suddenly lost interest in even me, as the Turkey was smelt by them. (The manual tells me smelling is all to do with the nose - a small appendage in the middle of my face - but you would know all about that I think, for me I tried it but got all sorts of the fluid in me which I did not like much. I wonder if air will be easier to smell and breath when I come out - not long now!!!)

So the turkey was much more of an interest to them, especially as it had been cooked and was on the trolley, so at their height, they did not even have to jump up to get to it. It was being offered on a platter to them, or so their thinking went. They have much simpler thoughts than the others and so easier for me to follow.

I worked out that Baba had not gotten up extra early that morning (just as I had been going to sleep if I remember correctly), so that the Jellies (Oma calls them that) to get it before the others had a chance, so I told Mummy through the emergency line all about it, - I know that it is only to be used for telling Mummy that we are ready to get on with the next bit - and we saved the day (and the turkey). We were the heros of the day. Maybe they could have made more of a fuss about my quick thinking, but soon there was far too much else happening to thinking about it.

Lots of food was arranged on the table for us all to eat, and I got to taste lots of it. Slices of pink fish called Salmon, baby eggs from a bird called quail, pigs in a blanket (neither wool garmented porkines nor anything to do with that silly name) but very tasty snacks from the same animal. All sorts of stuffing balls, dates with cheese stuffed in them, biscuits from Germany, France and Italy, as well as that Turkey we had saved. The others also drank a magic drink with real gold floating on bubbles in it, but we were not allowed to have any as it was alcoholic. (The manual told me it was a poison you guys imbibe some times and that it can make you feel strange. I am feeling strange all the time now, it is all so new, I won't need any)

Anyway not only food and drink in copious quantities was consumed but then they began strangely giving each other all sorts of things, not just to me as is the usual way they behave around Mummy and me. (Manual tells me it has to do with the birthing day of someone else a long time ago. But I got all sorts of stuff this time too. I got a special gym for exercising my appendages when I come out, also more clothes and money from Mummies aunt Clelia (again) - These are vouchers which I can change for presents at a later time - and a whole basket from Baba and Nona's neighbors with all sorts of things in them.

Mummy got lots of stuff too, a big picture frame for putting pictures of me on (its a digital one - are there any other types?), all sorts of bubbly things for her bath, and even a nice bracelet she wanted. She particularly liked the gloves I got Daddy to buy for her when he was in Italy.

But in the end it all got a bit too much for me - they really can do things for such a long time without feeling sleepy. Me it was time for another nap

20 Days and Counting

Ok it's been a few fours, actually I'll call them four-pluses now, as I have discovered other bits attached to each of my appendages, (but I can't count so high yet, in order to work out how many on each one), since I last expounded my theories of human interaction on baby shopping. That and the afore mentioned counting discovery has kept me totally absorbed in cognitive pondering. (I found this biological constructed dictionary/manual the other four-plus, from which I have been absorbing all sorts of new ideas......and wordings)

But not so long ago Mummy and Daddy went out (with me of course) on a grand adventure. It was Sunday, what exactly does that mean, no sun to be seen anywhere — raining in fact — and they call it that strange name. Still we got in that strange room that moves me and mummy about from side to side and backwards and forwards, until we stopped shaking and got out at a bridge called Kingston. They walked around for a bit in the rain - Mummy and Daddy are still a little strange to me in what they do, I don't quite yet understand all their actions, but I do like them more and more.

After some four-pluses of walking and having short conversations with different people I have never met before, (from the way Daddy talked with them I am not too sure if they had either), they got back in that moving about room, but this time for only a very small amount of four-pluses, only two in fact, then went into a building where they were met by a woman with a very nice voice, not squeaky at all — just soft and gentle — who told them her name was Katherine.

We sat down, well Mummy did, I after all am still floating (new word) in all sorts of directions but mostly facing towards the pulling-towards direction, "Down" if I remember from the manual correctly, strange but "Up" does not pull, something else I must ponder on.

Anyway after sitting with several other people already there, in fact two fours of people, the soft gentle voice began to tell us all about what people had been thinking that birthing was going to be like.

Really they need only look at the manual, it is all in there, but maybe they can't read it as there is not much space in here for me let alone anyone else to read it — maybe I will try to bring it out with me, note to self must remember to do that.

It seems that a very long counting ago, only mummies were allowed to be around when the birthing process began, oh them and strangers, but no daddies. I don't like that idea at all, however my Daddy will be there when my birthing comes, I'm sure.

Then more recently everyone got the idea that birthing has to be very painful, stressful and unpleasant, not the powerful, emotional tranquil event it is meant to be, as it says in chapter 11 of the manual. So much so that nowadays mummies are preconditioned in their minds that it will be very painful, stressful and unpleasant and so it is. Then they tell others how their experience was and this fear is perpetuated and reinforced for others. Why don't just they read the manual?

They discussed various earlier people who had in the past been expounding different ways to treat the birthing process, using pools of water, sitting on balls and not being rendered unconscious (the mother), that is such a silly idea, I mean how can a mummy help if she is unconscious? But it was all getting a bit repetitive, so I played with the manual a bit, kicked it and even got it twisted around my lower appendage.

But when they started with relaxation techniques it became was much more interesting, I enjoyed that.

There is this story about a coloured rainbow they have to tell each other, describing the different colours, and what they are supposed o think about it. It does go on and on, but it brings them down into the unconscious state of the mind and they relax and feel very refreshed, so much so that Daddy fell asleep, - I know because he made those soft snuffling noises he makes when he sleeps at the time I wake up.

Even mummy was so relaxed and so free of stress that I didn't get any stress through the manual, as I sometimes do, especially when she is sick in the mornings. Now Daddy reads that story to Mummy every night and she falls asleep instead of lying awake all night and passing me stress, which makes it difficult to read the manual, so that is very good.

We then all went out as a group and found a house with other people drinking in it, sat in a big room and chatted about what they had discussed before in the first building. Then food and drinks were delivered by a nice voiced person. Mummy had a fish cake and some potatoes which was so tasty that I fell asleep.....

Shopping on B-Day minus maybe 27

Well, it's been a few twos now since I last let you into my sanctuary, which by the way seems to be decreasing in size every day.....very odd.

Anyway yesterday (after a day of just resting and eating lots, which Mummy managed to keep in for me) we left early and went to meet Mummies Godmother. Now that is an odd concept for me to get my head around. She is not related to either Mummy, and thus by extension me, nor is she the mother of the big Boss upstairs.

But she sounded very nice, even squeakier than Mummy, is called Gilda and loves to hug. So I got to hug her too, I like her! There was also someone called Brian who I think is there to drive her around and buy her cups of tea, very nice voice. They were waiting at a shop called Mothercare, where we were to buy some things.........for ME!!!!

Now I am arriving in some 29 or so days with nothing, nada, not even any nappies, -(or so my manual book tells me, which won't be of much use soon as it is beginning to melt away...some bits I can't make out anymore), just a big smile and a huge curiosity to learn about new things, everything in other words, as it is all new. But I have managed to press those buttons it told me about and now Mummy and Daddy are out buying all sorts of stuff from places I have not heard of yet, such as Madrid, Monte Carlo, Nice, Rome (I rather like the green jacket Daddy bought me in a nice shop by the Trevi Fountain), and other places I can't remember anymore.

I must have pressed this button rather hard, as now other people out there are getting me stuff too. I have heard that I will be getting my very own baby bath from someone called Rosie, Nona and Baba are going to get me a pram all the way from Spain called a Jane, Auntie Jeep is getting me a jungle gym, — not too sure what that is, but it sounds interesting, and my cousins from Oregon are getting me a Bjorn Baby, what ever that is, but Daddy seemed to know all about it and sounded pleased.

And now we were going to buy me somewhere for me to sleep in, for when I finally arrive. The store is very, very, very huge. So huge that I could really move about in there I think. We went to the back and there, next to the strollers, were the sleeping appliances. They looked and pondered, lifted up and discussed all sorts of these appliences. But in the end I got a lovely big basket that used to belong to someone called Moses, with a stand so I don't have to sleep on the floor.

But then I must have accidently pressed that button again because Mummy and Dad went crazy, we also got a changing mat, which I first thought was for exchanging me, but I then realized it was not called an exchanging mat, so is for something else... so much to take in and learn about. Loads of nappies to go with the changing mat. And a machine Daddy was pleased about where the old nappies go into and just disappear.

Also some bottles and blankets, a rather weird thing called a nursing bra. This seems very strange, it is a covering that turns my food bar into a cabriolet, but I suppose if it keeps the rain off while I am feeding it must be useful.....whatever will they think of next.

Finally after a ton of twos time, Daddy did something truly wonderful, he had a golden magical wand, (sort of flat though), and after looking at it and sliding it though a small gap, the nice people in the shop gave all the bags and bags and bags and bags - thats right, there were two twos of bags.....that must be four, - so four bags, to us and we went and put it all in the car. (That is what they call that machine which pushes us around from side to side and whooshes all the time, I am getting used to it and actually quite like it now).

We ate some lunch, Mummy just a sandwich, but Daddy had something which smelt delicious, (I can't wait to try all this stuff called food), it smelt of cow meat, hops, barley and carrots, and potatoes....oooh yummy. Then finally we went shopping again, but this time as it was not for me, so I felt sleepy and.....

B-Day minus about 30

Not too much new to tell you about except yesterday after a pleasant afternoon when I slept quite a bit, there was a fair bit of movement as Mummy (and that other one) went outside.

Now I have been outside before, I should say we have been outside before because of course where I go Mummy goes. My immediate environment does not change that much, there is a change in the muted lighting conditions, noise levels rise and fall, and sometimes the temperature will fluctuate a bit. But this was new different. For one thing it went on for ages, so very, very many counting up to two, that I lost count of the twos I had counted.

I can only count up to two, I touch one of those extensions for one and then the other one for two. Of course then occasionally I touch one of the other ones and then I get confused, even frustrated and kick it away.

Does this mean that there are more than two of things out there? Hmmmm....... I'll ponder on that later

Anyway lots and lots and lots of two's later, during which time Mummy, (and I) were pushed around quite a bit from side to side and couple of times to the front and back, when strange noises like whooshes only more constant, over the background noise of what I have been told is music — (Dad likes to listen other people talking about things but then Mummy makes a magical movement reaching forward, and they start singing) — we arrived and went into an other house where there were other voices.

I recognise these ones, as one that is called Nonna (that's Mummy's mummy I think), Baba (Mummy's Dad) and someone called Jeep sometimes and Giovanna other times. We had arrived at our other home, you see I have been here before, several, counting up to two, times before.

Inside after Mummy sat for a while, we had some dinner. I enjoyed this food as I tasted some lettuce all cut up, an egg (hard-boiled, not allowed the runny ones yet) tomatoes and some new things, I heard Daddy call olives some twos before. We even had a tangerine and some orange juice that Baba likes to squeeze himself, very nice of him because I do so like orange juice, and best of all Mummy didn't have to rush to the toilet and throw all that yummy food out, as she has done so many twos before.

Then we sat and they discussed all about that poor lady who was in prison — (not sure what that is, but it does not sound nice by the tone of their voices when they say that word) — may get forty lashes all because she allowed some children she was with to call a Teddy Bear Mohammed.

I was beginning to think that might be a bit silly, as the big Boss upstairs had so many names, surely he could lend one out occasionally, and that woman I think, had made a mistake unintentionally, but then I fell asleep......

B-day minus 31 (or there abouts)

Hello!

My name is Beanie! (Actually that is just a working title at the moment as Mum & Dad are still working out my real name. - They haven't even worked out my gender yet.)

Well, it's very nearly finally December and I am on the home stretch, only 31 days or so to go, until I arrive. I can't wait and am expecting the full works — marching band and fireworks. Well, actually anything at all will be like that as it is pretty quiet where I am at the moment. Just some muffled noises and some dimmed lighting effects.

I have recognized a couple of voices, one belongs to someone calling itself Mummy that speaks in a squeaky little voice and a more gentled one, and the other, a bit further away is measured, deeper and oddly reassuring. This one I don't hear as often as the first one, which has named it Daddy, — funny names but then they have called me Beanie, after all.

Last night I had a pretty quiet time and I even slept a bit, I think, I'm not too sure what that is yet, but I did do a few kicks with these appendages that I have attached to me, that was quite fun for a while, before I went back to sucking these little bits sticking out at the end of them.

But I have been told that next week my head will engage and then I won't move so much anymore.

Ok that is it for now. I'll be back to report when I have more to tell you. hmmm......love that little bit I am sucking on......might just call it a toe.