Jacob's first steps; The beginning....

Last week Jacob took his first little foot steps! Mike and I were literally blown away and so proud of our little man. Every day since we have been practising and he's getting more confident and steadier on his feet.

It's such an amazing time in his life, he's saying full words, trying to spell his name (jayyyy, seeeeee, ooooohhhh, beeeee not always in the correct order!) turning one this month and now walking.

I'm fully aware that once he starts walking my days of sitting on my butt eating Pringles and playing with him and his toys are over. Now I'll be sprinting around all over the place making sure he's not up to mischief and desperately wishing I had eyes in the back of my head.

I always used to think that slim ladies who proclaimed to be skinny because 'they are running around after a toddler all day' were telling fibs, but now I totally get it and actually lost half a stone when Jake started crawling.

And as I watch him this week, climbing and trying and getting there slowly but surely, I'm fully aware of one thing.....

A tornado is coming.

Parents v The rest of The World

The other day I posted this comment (photographed) on an online parenting forum discussing the infamous 'Crying Baby in a Plane' debate. One lady had stated that it was 'unfair' on fellow passengers to bring our children onto flights especially long haul. I received in all 46 'likes' for the post, but considering it was a parenting forum , it was parents (who therefor could sympathise!) who were mainly reading.

It was when I posted on Facebook that the shit hit the fan. Having not that many 'mummy' friends on FB due to being the first of my group to enter motherhood I was shocked by some of the venom I received from my so called 'mates'!
One guy who I have known for quite a few years and is a mutual friend to one of my best friends made it clear that it wasn't our children that people were annoyed by on planes, it was us, the parents for being so bloody selfish in bringing them on a plane in the first place (a tube of pain, he called it) and that how dare people have to suffer all because us parents feel the need to "get away" He basically said I was a terrible mother for wanting to go on holiday.

Anyway, the argument escalated, my partner got involved, it got silly and personal until I ended up deleting the whole stupid thing (I only really posted it to show off my 38 likes I had at the time, fickle? Yup!) but it really upset me and just confirmed how sick I am of being made to feel like Satan's daughter whenever I get on to the bus with a pram, try to sit in a busy cafe with a pram, get tutted at in shops if my pram gets in the way.

Why am I constantly apologising for being in the way!? FUCK OFF!
Maybe it's just London in summer, it's overcrowded, hot and stuffy and people have very little respect for one another. And that's fine, but I really do feel that the old fashioned value of respecting women and children has gone, truly gone. Children are treated like dogs. Mums are treated like pests. Trust me I've worked in the hospitality industry long enough to know for a fact that groups of mothers & babies are most cafes and restaurants worst nightmare.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want special treatment, I was a single gal about town once y'know I know the drill! And the world doesn't revolve around you just cos you've had a kid. I just want to stop being tutted at please!

Are us parents really so annoying? And can we really be deemed selfish for wanting to go on holiday? Last time I checked taking your child on a lovely holiday, visit grandparents etc.. Wasn't considered bad parenting?!
Anyhoo, I got an apology in the end.

Thanks.