Audrey's play date

Turns out Audrey's new cot gymnastics the night before last were only just the start. After three weeks of mainly sleeping through, last night she woke me up five times as she'd rolled over and got stuck. Luckily I'd gone to bed at 9pm so I'd managed some pre-emptive sleep before the Olympics Stadium (aka her cot) opened for a night's entertainment.

Am still narked though. Do babies dream up new ways to deprive parents of sleep? Is there a baby convention somewhere where some Baby Overlord lectures the others on new techniques?

Baby overlord: Right babies when you've been sleeping through for approximately three weeks and you sense your parents are getting complacent/happy/smug etc. , now is the perfect time to start rolling over in your cot - preferably a few times a night. Don't roll back. Just stay wedged there. And make sure to scream nice and loud now...

(Babies nod emphatically).

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Didn't feel like doing much today but forced myself out nonetheless.

Had a French morning as we headed to Chorlton Green Brasserie and met Heidi, a French student who is waitressing there. She was very taken with Audrey and she made a great Cafe Au Lait. Then we went on to Epicerie Ludo (also on Beech Rd) and picked up a baguette for lunch. Could have been a street in the Le Marais district of Paris today (again, in my head).

We had a dilemma this afternoon though. There was an NCT get-together round at a Mum's house in Didsbury from 1.30. Slap bang in the middle of Audrey's naptime. I knew it was a risk (as I've mentioned before - Audrey only sleeps in a moving car or pram or her own cot - I have tried and failed to make this different so many times I've lost count). But I so wanted to go. I haven't seen the NCT girls in ages so I decided we could pop along for an hour.

The hour flew by as we were the first there (see pic of Audrey hanging out with Harry and Theo, who are engaging in a game of pulling one-another as Audrey looks into the middle distance unaware). And before too long I saw that she was getting cranky. I knew our time was up but Jo (the host) tried to convince me to put Audrey in her son's cot which was lovely as I could tell she wanted us to stay. But I don't know why I went along with it. I knew it would never work (it didn't) and by the time I got her in the car, she was really worked up. I just need to trust my own instincts in future. It's really not worth the fall out.

Had an awful last few hours with her. The sleep in the car was too short and she's been tetchy ever since, hardly touching her dinner.

How on earth is it possible to strike the right balance between doing what you (the Mum) wants to do and keeping your baby happy with the right feeds and naps? Someone always loses and today is was me sadly.

Oh well, fresh start tomorrow...