May 1997.

The weather is beautiful, and I am really enjoying taking Matthew out and about. He is so fair that, although I try to keep him in the shade, I always cover him in sun lotion and I have a little desert-style cap which he wears outdoors. It is difficult to keep him cool and yet keep his skin covered at the same time. The hot weather is making him very sleepy too, we went to visit a friend who has a baby three weeks younger than Matthew and the two babies slept in their car seats, in the shade of a Christmas tree, on their patio. It was a great break for two new mums!

We have been visiting lots of friends and family to 'show Matthew off', and he seems to enjoy meeting new people... so long as he can still see mum or dad not too far away. We have bought him a baby gym to play with as he is begining to reach out for things. He loves to 'bat' the rattley toys and will lay under it playing for ages. I am so pleased he is a happy baby.

Karl is being sent on a training course near to my parents so we are going down south again: Matthew spent his first night in a hotel on the way! He was very good but did wake once in the night. It has been so hot lately, and Matthew gets very fretful when he is too hot. I am finding it difficult to keep him cool: most of the time he is only wearing a nappy.

Matthew had his first taste of solid food on Karls birthday: Birthday cake! I'm not sure it's what the books recommend for weaning! but Matthew enjoyed the new taste, even if he was a little warey of the texture in his mouth. Since Matthew is still so under weight we have been encouraged to begin weaning. Matthew couldn't be bothered with runny baby rice - he seemed to say "why are you giving me milk on a spoon?", but as soon as we added some fruit he lapped it up. I am giving him a milk/rice/fruit mixture several times a week now and he is really tucking into it well, but getting into a right mess.

This month's firsts included grabbing his teddy bear for the first time. He is now able to manipulate light objects quite accurately, and he can sit up properly whilst holding my hands. We also joined a postnatal/baby massage group, but Matthew was very unsure. He didn't like being put in the middle with the other babies, whilst the mums did some gentle exercises. He had his BCG immunisation, and slept right through it. It is not a "jab" like many vaccinations, but rather some liquid was put onto his arm and he was then "stamped" with a set of tiny pin pricks, which looked just like a rubber stamp for doing addresses. We also went to the wedding of a University friend of ours - this was Matthews first big social occasion. I dressed him in a shirt and waistecoat that I had altered to fit him, and he was thrilled by all the attention he got.