Child's PlayThe babbling begins as baby Tim marks 10 weeks and discovers the pain that comes with vaccinations, writes Susan Hayden
Tim is in the bouncer chair having an animated conversation with a purple and yellow sun face hanging above him.
It doesn't bother him in the slightest that the conversation is all one-sided. He's 10 weeks old and started to talk about two weeks ago. His repertoire has increased from simple "oohs" to all sorts of sounds with varying tones to convey pleasure and displeasure, and he is just as capable of scolding as he is of applauding.
The main event of the fortnight was having his first vaccinations. We had been out all morning and he was starving by the time we arrived at the doctor's. He wriggled and wriggled and then went bananas when he had the first injection as I couldn't hold him tightly enough and it hurt him. The second was slightly better but he was inconsolable after the indignities he had suffered.
Luckily, the doctor's waiting room was empty and she suggested I feed him there. Within five minutes, Tim was behaving as though the whole event hadn't taken place, and couldn't have been more chirpy.
Although he didn't get a fever following the vaccinations, he was off-colour for the next three days, sleeping badly and getting sick a lot, but he's back to normal now.
Apart from that, he had another busy and sociable fortnight, visiting his relations. His two-year-old identical twin cousins, Robert and Stephen, were up for a day from Cork so the introductions were made. Although interest in Tim by the twins was limited, no doubt the rivalry will be great when rugby enters the picture in the not too distant future, egged on by their respective fathers.
Michael has taken up rugby again since Tim was born - whether this is to avoid fatherly duties one night a week or to set a good example I don't know, but we took Tim out to watch the Barbarians v. England match at the weekend, so his initiation is starting young.
I have also begun to introduce him to the finer pleasures of culinary delights. We have begun a fairly regular routine which doesn't appear in many baby books, but which I highly recommend.
Once a week we meet a friend in Avoca for coffee and other forbidden pleasures. The feeling of decadence is sheer bliss, and I am rejuvenated each time. On our latest visit, we wandered around the baby section and I bought Tim a bib that says "Funky Baby" on it, and a "Mouse in a fur coat" for another friend's new baby girl. It is a treasure trove of fabulous must-haves, and I love it.
But Tim is getting quite cute. I took him upstairs to bed earlier than usual one night. He lay down peaceably enough but then kicked his legs in the air and threw off his covers.
He then turned towards me and laughed. I laughed back - he is irresistible after all! I tucked him in again. Another big kick, the covers were back off and another big laugh. This time I talked to him quietly and told him to go to sleep.
Instead of kicking off his covers then, he reached out and grabbed my finger. He eventually fell asleep on his own terms at his usual bedtime.
I have no complaints though, as he has increased his main sleeping stretch from three to five and a half hours and did one stretch of seven hours last week.
Susan Hayden is an Irish Times staff member - her column appears fortnightly.