New resident at the Castle

There has been a serious paucity of material on this blog in the last two weeks.  Happily I haven’t lost my fingers in a freak culinary incident, rather more happily this laxity on my part has been due to the arrival of our second born.  And by the use of ‘arrival’ I neatly and blithely sweep under the carpet any further mention of the ordeal this involves for all mothers.  My apologies; birth makes the machinations of the wildest of the Inquistion’s torturers look like a paper cut next to a disemboweling.  My humble appreciation to mothers everywhere.

So the castle has, by moonlight especially, been filled with the polite requests of our new-born for food, swaddling, burping, bathing, and every other need.  This has a rather draining effect given time, and affects one’s abilities to see to other matters of the estate, such as blogging etc.

Gladly the positives far outweigh the short term negatives.  A smiling baby girl with eyes open and dazedly gazing about the place, in what can only be described as general indifference, is a sight to warm the heart and bring life’s foibles into perspective.

One ponders the greatness of being a child again, albeit from an outsiders perspective.  The untimed days and nights, the tender smiles, hugs and love of doting parents... Though it goes without saying that being rudely awoken from one’s slumbers to have one’s nethers scrubbed with a damp baby wipe is a downside worth serious consideration should the proffered wish from a magic lamp ever supply one with the opportunity to revisit those days.

All things said, there is nothing I have experienced quite so life changing, affirming and rewarding as being a dad (and also challenging of course).  Hiding from dinosaurs with our eldest boy, holding our new baby girl, these are the moments that stop you, that make you think how wonderful it is to be a parent. So please excuse what will undoubtedly be a sporadic period for Castle by Moonlight - the residents, old and new, require attention.


Cheers,


Giles.