Zoë Bowyer

Martha and the Rabbit Tail from Zoe Bowyer on Vimeo.

The Lip, originally uploaded by ZMB.

My little one is upstairs in bed babbling away. I am just catching a moment before her contented babbles turn into cries. I know that when I go up to her she will give me a giant smile. This makes me happy.

That’s what my mum said when I expressed concern that little Martha may be taking after her great-granny in more ways than name – she does seem to have had an awful lot of medical appointments in her short life and has beamed huge smiles at every doctor who has examined her.

Yesterday little Martha and I visited with Martha Snr. Due concern was given for Martha Snr’s possible pulled muscle/lung pain – it was one or the other, though most likely a pulled muscle caused by a coughing fit. Then Martha Snr went back to laughing and enjoying little Martha’s company. Socks and bootees had to be removed as little Martha was nearly 9 weeks old and Martha Snr had not yet seen her wee feet.

Then a neighbour arrived and Martha Snr put on the best show I have seen in a long time of someone who could possibly be at death’s door. She even managed to hoick up some phlegm, she may even have been saving it up for this very occasion. The neighbour rubbed Martha Snr’s back and sympathised will her, suggested she take herself to the doctors and get some antibiotics for they would sort her out.

*My maternal grandfather

hoursold, originally uploaded by waveneyavenue.

I would say that every person who reads this blog is already aware that I have had my baby. Just in case there is anyone out there who does not know – I had little Martha Amy on 19 September. We have spent the last 4 weeks getting to know each other and it is bloody hard work, but very rewarding.

The dogs were extremely interested in her when she arrived home. We sat her in her car seat on the floor and both Gracie and Maya sniffed and licked her. They were very gentle. When Martha cried both dogs started vibrating in fear – they have since got used to the sound of crying.

winding, originally uploaded by waveneyavenue.

Naturally I haven’t had much on the way of free time and I haven’t yet learned the art of multi-tasking feeding and typing. Though we have got to grips with sleeping and knitting or reading.

Happy Birthday Gracie, originally uploaded by ZMB.

4 today.

Mentally I am the same size I was before I grew my bump. Physically I cannot fit through the same tight gaps – especially between car wing mirrors. According to my mother my arse looks bigger. I guess it’s a balance thing, my arse grows to balance out the big belly so that I don’t topple forwards.

I have a new hobby – sleeping during the day. It is brilliant! The dogs love it too, we all pile up on the bed and rest a spell.

If it is quiet here it is because: I have been away; I am sleeping; I am working; I am talking about bathrooms; I am knitting; I am walking the dogs; I am eating my dinner.

I am slowly gathering together all the basics I will need for the arrival of my baby. Some stuff is bought and some is made. I threw together a quick homemade version of this. Dave wasn’t very impressed by it, his attention was only held for a couple of seconds. He reckons a boy would never be engrossed by something so silly. I said, just you wait to see your wee idiot son playing away with it! Actually, I didn’t really say that, I said something a lot less PC and had myself a hugh, wobbling belly laugh.

I read in the paper this week about pregnancy causing absent-mindedness. There were many theories as to why, such as the brain shrinking, hormones and tiredness. Of course, I thought, none of this will happen to me – I will remain on the ball and alert. So why then did I pour milk over my muesli and then proceed to pour milk over Maya’s dog nuts? It wasn’t a disaster, Maya was very grateful for the tasty addition to her normally dry breakfast. In my defense I would say that her nuts could easily be mistaken for some kind of chocolate puff cereal.

I managed to complete two knitted garments last week. One was a little cardigan for the baby and the other was a bolero for me. I am very happy with the bolero, although it is far too warm for the weather we are having. Really this is bra and panties weather – or is it just me that feels so, so warm?

On Saturday Dave and I went to a basket weaving class near Portaferry. I made this and I am very proud of it!

Well, if you haven’t been enjoying the weather what have you been doing?

Yesterday I was at a training course in Craigavon. I don’t normally mingle with others in my field of work so I found it strangely reassuring that everyone, everywhere is exactly the same. The same old stories of being passed over for promotion. The same old complaints about insincere praise. The same old bitterness everywhere. And in every single break we had the majority of people became glued to their mobile phones, except for one person who brought a book. I too brought a book but had left it in my car, so had to make do with texting Dave. Anything but talk to other people!

The drive home was hot and sticky – I removed most of my clothes when I got into my house.

Back in work today I find more people are discovering I am pregnant. Nobody looks me in the eye anymore, they all talk to my bump. I guess this is normal and I should just get used to it.

Over the weekend we took the dogs to Waterfoot beach, a place normally deserted except for a few hardy dog walkers, but which on Saturday was packed with kiddies and their sun-worshipping parents. On Sunday we walked up Trostan from the Glenariff side, another normally quite place, but which on Sunday was positively hiving with people. We even encountered a guy on a bike – Trostan is not exactly easy biking territory being surrounded by boggy ground.

Going away on holiday has many positive points, not least of which is the greeting that the dogs gave us on our return. Both waggled with excitement from their noses to the tips of their tails. Gracie’s full greeting takes up to an hour and includes much waggling, jumping up, climbing onto our shoulders; where she rests herself like a fox stole, but an alive one, with a big tongue to wash our faces and probe deep into our nostrils.

Needless to say our holiday was very pleasant. We stayed in a cabin in the woods in the Dordogne. It was bliss. We ate tasty food, we relaxed, we rafted on our little lake, we fed carp our leftover bread.

On our return we stopped over a night in London, where we visited the Cybercandy shop near Covent Garden (Hannah would love this place). We bought Hot Tamales, Jelly Belly Jellybeans and Watermelon Jolly Ranchers (which proudly proclaim on their packaging that they are both ‘Naturally and Artificially flavored’, so they are twice as good as other sweets!)

We ate lunch/dinner in Wahaca and then went to stay with London Aunt. The following day we were treated to a delicious brunch with London Aunt, her hubby and Ganching. A very pleasant morning was had.

I started the bank holiday weekend a little early by taking the afternoon off work on Friday. I used the time to cook the ‘no knead bread’ I had started the night before and to go for a photowalk in Top Wood with Dave and the dogs. Gracie was in fine posing form and Maya was just having a brilliant time.

Later, for dinner, I made omelette with a goose egg and hen eggs I had got from my Mum. I added chard and thyme from the garden and we ate it with the bread I had just cooked. For pudding we had vanilla ice cream with stewed rhubarb that our neighbour gave us.

Saturday was spent knitting, walking the dogs, playing Frisbee with Dave and Gracie, tidying the house and eating tasty food. We had scrambled eggs (from Mum) and bacon (from Hillstown Farm Shop) for lunch. For dinner we had sausage and bean bake with a pile of buttered ‘no knead bread’.

On Sunday we went walking – a fine stroll, into the wind, along Portstewart Strand. Back at home we dozed, then we ate pasta with aubergine (cooked by Dave), then back to sleep.

Monday we took easy – I made oatcakes for lunch, which we ate with melted cheese and more of our bacon. It was a rainy day so we just went walking to Waterfoot Beach – nothing too strenuous. Then I visited my Granny. Later we had lightly smoked salmon, béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes and puy lentils for dinner. All cooked by Dave and a marvellous job it was! I ate until I thought I would burst.

Last night I dreamt that there was something wrong with daylight – it was broken – and everything was the colour of a film negative but 3-dimensional.

So, that is what I have been up to. What is coming up is a week away in France, happy me! We leave on Saturday for a week in a wooden cabin in the Dordogne. Sadly, the dogs aren’t able to join us on this trip and will have to spend a week in the Leighinmohr Dog Hotel. On our return we will stop over in London for a night and maybe take in a few sights. I can’t wait!