Like father like son
Post categories: Staff blog
| 17:00 UK time, Monday, 12 April 2010
Hi everyone
about a year ago I wrote this blog about my experiences as a new dad.
My son James was only a few weeks old then. Now he has just celebrated his first birthday so I thought it was about time for an update.
First I'd like to thank everyone who sent a comment for my earlier blog and for all the tips on getting a baby to sleep. I have to say that we have been very lucky. Since the early weeks James has been very good at sleeping through the night. It's only when he's not feeling well, or drops his favourite toy out of the cot, that he wakes us up at night.
We found that the best thing we did was to get into a routine as early as possible. So, every night at the same time he has a bath, a bottle of milk and then is put in his cot to sleep.
Usually he goes to sleep very quickly - as long as he manages not to lose 'blue cat'. Blue cat is the name we've given to his special toy. He is so attached to it that we have two, in case he loses one or it gets too dirty. He does have a habit of dropping it when we're out in his buggy - many a time we've had to pick it up off a supermarket floor or the pavement. The substitute isn't actually identical - but it is the same colour, is made of the same material and importantly has long soft ears he can wrap around his fingers. Much to our relief he doesn't seem to notice they are not the same, or if he does, he doesn't mind!
You can see blue cat in the first picture below of James in a bucket. Have a look at the picture next to his - can you spot a similarity?
Did you spot the similarity? Well the second picture is of me, in a bucket, when I was a little boy, a long, long, long time ago, way back in the 60s. And yes, if you are eagle-eyed you might notice that the bucket is the same one! It's my mum's bucket, which she got in the 50s - so that bucket is over 50 years old!
James started to crawl in the second week of December - I watched that on Skype while working in Bangladesh. He stood up for the first time in the second week of January. I was in the room when that happened as he pulled himself up from the floor to get a closer look at the TV. He hasn't yet taken his first step by himself but we are waiting for that milestone with a mixture of excitement and fear. Once he starts walking we are going to have to be even more vigilant.
He is very mobile and if you turn your back on him for a second he can disappear only to be a found in another room or, on one occasion, at the top of the stairs. He seems to have no fear!
Now we make sure the safety gates are always shut. I guess he'll have to experience a few more bangs and bumps before he gets more cautious.
One of his favourite things is 'flying'. He loves being thrown in the air and caught, it makes him laugh a lot.
When it stops he points up to the sky and says 'ah! ah! ah!' which is what he says whenever he wants something.
I usually get tired before he does, he has so much energy.
I'd be really interested to hear about your experiences. For example, do you remember your favourite toy as a young child, one which you couldn't be without?
Some vocabulary
- to get into a routine
to get used to doing the same things at the same time every day - The substitute
a replacement,Ìýone used when the first one is not available. This word is also used a lot in sport when a player in a team is changed. The player coming on is called the substitute. - eagle-eyed
with very good eyesight, noticing things that are difficult or not obvious to see - milestone
important achievement as part of a process of development - vigilant
paying careful attention and looking out for possible danger
All the best, time to go home now and put James to bed!
Comment number 1.
At 12th Apr 2010, Ana Paula wrote:Hello Callum! It´s really nice to hear form you again.
Oooh!!! James is a cute baby indeed. He looks like one of the babies on Anne Geddes pictures. Just lovely!! Well, I do remember what my favourite toy was and guess what? I still have it! My favourite toy was a cute little doll called 'Feijãozinho'(Little Bean). Everywhere I went,I brought him along. We were inseparable and I guess that´s the reason why I still keep it with me. Looking at my little doll brings good memories from my childhood :-).
Best wishes, Ana Paula.
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Comment number 2.
At 12th Apr 2010, danny wrote:Dear Callum
There's a boy in the bucket dear Liza dear Liza....What a deep and innocence glance in his eyes!
God bless him
Danny
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Comment number 3.
At 12th Apr 2010, Cristina from Buenos Aires wrote:Hi Callum,
James is so lovely! and you're a great father. Hey, that bucket seems to be of a very good quality. Anyway, I think that both of you are alike in some way. However, you looked more naughty than him.
I used to have a special little doll who was my favourite. She was a black doll. I always took her when travelling and you can't believe that she is well kept in one of my drawers now.
Enjoy every moment of James (he is really an angel) and let us know when he does his first step by himself.
Best wishes,
Cris (BA-Argentina)
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Comment number 4.
At 14th Apr 2010, oh wrote:Hello Callum
It's nice to hear the updated blog on your cute baby. I wonder how you prepare the 1st birthday party, "Baby Shower" in U.K?
Enjoy with James and hope to see you early your baby's first step by himself.
Yours Oh
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Comment number 5.
At 14th Apr 2010, kirsti wrote:Hi, Callum.
How time flies! Already a year since you introduced your son to us! He has changed a lot, although he still is as lovely as on the first photos.
Are you sure the bucket is the same? I don't think so. The colours of the two buckets differ: the one you are sitting in is rather light blue, not so green as James's bucket. Of course, the light blue could have been altered when the years passed, and the two buckets are not taken in the same light. So I will not speak about the colour. But the form! James's bucket has a base with a diagonal that is almost half of the upper opening's diameter. The sides of the bucket are markedly inclined. The bucket you sit in is almost a cylinder. Of course it's of no importance if it's the same bucket or not, and the photos, even with different buckets, confirm your headline "like father, like son". (I write that in order to please you, Callum, and because I think parents want to be able to find some of their own features in their children. I myself was fed up with everyone who told me how much my first son resembled his father; nobody seemed to think he was a little like me, his mother.)
Kirsti
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Comment number 6.
At 15th Apr 2010, bbllmm wrote:Hello Callum! As I am reading this update blog you prove with each new paragraph that there was no need to have the fear being a parent. Everything went excelent and now we may look at this new serious ´man´ on his briliant photoportrait. The inspective eyeview does great impression about his personality. His parents are skilled without a doubt and his dad is surely as proud as loving. Who could resist to admire such a little ´nut´ sitting in yet a little big bucket? And who knows, maybe I am looking at the astronaut of the new age! Congratulations to both of you!
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Comment number 7.
At 16th Apr 2010, Tienhoa wrote:Hi Callum,
Your son James is so lovely and seems like you as being a child. Your photos are very meaningful. On the one hand, I guess you are a good father and caring your son very carefully. On the other hand, the bucket is almost a half century old, however, it seems good in quality. In my thoughts, we can use these photos for a campaign for environmental protection by encouraging people to reuse things instead of throwing them away. Do you agree?
Tienhoa
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Comment number 8.
At 18th Apr 2010, Elisabeth wrote:Hello Callum,
I share everybody's enthusiasm about James - such a cute little boy indeed. Are you trying to tell us he has been sleeping through the night from a very early age on?? Why ever didn't my girls do that? Something to do with the gender? Well, I'm not going to trigger a breastfeeding- versus-bottle-feeding discussion here. Or am I?
The coolness of dangling one's right arm over the edge of the bucket... Little Callum on the other hand looks to me as if he was on the point of taking part in a sack race (having erroneously been put into the wrong sort of container....)
I like Danny's Boy-in-the-Bucket song! I think it has potential!
Elisabeth
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Comment number 9.
At 18th Apr 2010, Adri wrote:I hope the coming generations follow your family tradition of the bucket photo. Congratulations to you and James's mom. He's lovely indeed and the litle Callum was also so cute. I feel desperate just to see the picture of he 'flying'. Answering your question...my favourite toy was a doll which had the legs united. I and my sister decided it was time to make her walk and we tried to separate her legs with a knife...for our disappointment because we discovered how is empty inside a doll, only air. I hope your son doesn't want to see what is inside things like his toys, clocks, etc. :-)
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Comment number 10.
At 20th Apr 2010, Pary wrote:Hi Callum ,
congratulation to have a such adorable little angle ! He is so cute and He looks so pure . Good on James for not bothering his parents at nights . I have a 19 months son ( He 's my second kids ) and I have heared about your metod for making baby to sleep but I thought it won't work ! You are a very good writer and I really enjoy reading your words about your fatherhood ,So please update more about James and your father-son realtion .
Have a nice day and bye
Pary from Iran
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Comment number 11.
At 20th Apr 2010, Callum wrote:Hi - thanks everyone for your comments.
Currently we have a big crisis! We've lost Blue Cat!!!!!
We've turned the house upside down but can't find him. Most likely James has posted him somewhere. Luckily we've still got the substitute but we're searching the shops and the internet to find a replacement.
@Ana Paula: It's amazing that you still have your Little Bean and very touching too!
@Danny: Love the song!
@Cristina: I will indeed keep you all posted when James takes his first step. Currently he is such a fast crawler we think it may be little time yet before he discovers walking can get him around more quickly.
@Oh: For James' 1st birthday we simply invited close family and other parents of young children we have got to know. It turned out the house was full and it was tricky providing food and drink for so many adults and young children. I don't know if James really knew what was going on. My wife and I were exhausted!
@Kirsti: I assure you it is the same bucket! There is over 40 years between the photos and the lighting, angle and size of occupant is different which explains why they might not look identical. Most people think James is more like his mother than me now. Apparently he used to resemble me a lot more.
@bbllmm: Thanks for your comment. We wonder what James will be when he grows up. Already we are ruling out occupations for him - like deep sea fisherman, ice-road trucker etc. Of course he'll do whatever he wants, but his mum and I will always worry, I'm sure.
@Tienhoa Nguyen: I'm also impressed by the long life of the bucket. They really made things to last back then!
@Elisabeth: Yes! Apart from when he was a newborn James has never had a problem sleeping through the night. We are very grateful for this and feel very lucky!
@Adri: Good idea. We'll try and keep the bucket in the family for generations. I like your story of your early attempt at surgery on your doll! I wonder how long it'll be before James starts to examine things in more detail like that ...
@Pary: Thanks for your comments - James is indeed a little angel, even when he's being a bit naughty, which he is sometimes. We are having to train him not to bash the DVD player or put his fingers all over the TV. He seems to love doing that, perhaps because he knows he's not allowed and he is testing us.
All the best for now!
Callum
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Comment number 12.
At 20th Apr 2010, bbllmm wrote:Hi! It´s not here,the Blue Cat, but many thanks for answering all our comments. We now feel much more acquaintanced with James and his parents conditions! All the best!
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Comment number 13.
At 21st Apr 2010, Pary wrote:Hi Callum , Hope you have find the Blue cat already . Fourtunately my toddler hasn't such special lovely toy ! You might laugh but my son is not interested in usaul toddler 's toys , we have lots of differents types of toys already but he just loves electrical appliance cables ! vacume cleaner and ....:)WE havn't any safety gate in our house but we do have changed furnitures places almost every day .Every day there is a new problem . Belive it we have tried for a long time to make computer cables safe form his hand ! Once he took my mother 's Tv cables and suddenly it was on the ground ...... It has been a big problem almost form then he was able to walk ! I know that little James is a good boy and he won't be naughty as mine . children are different I haven't those problem when my first son was at the same age . sorry for my long words , Hope you haven't bored alot and thank you for your reply
enjoy your parenthood and kiss James for me
cheers
Pary from Iran
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Comment number 14.
At 22nd Apr 2010, Callum wrote:Hooray - a sigh of relief! Blue Cat has been found! He was discovered under another soft toy.
James' third tooth appeared this morning! A top one to go with his two bottom ones.
@Pary: James too loves to grab and pull cables. Fortunately he's not broken anything yet, but we have to keep a close eye on him!
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Comment number 15.
At 25th Apr 2010, Pary wrote:Hi callum ,
Congratulation on James third thooth ! don't forget to take photo of his beautiful thooth . Babies with those new born thooth are too sweet . My son had ten thooth already and imagin four are on the way !
Have a nice day and bye
Pary from Iran
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