Jamie Chew's Web Log: Vol. 1 No. 6

2005-11-15 23:30 (Kristen) Jamie slept reasonably well last night, starting with a three hour nap, and then was content to stay in bed for another two before going back to sleep for the night. We woke him up around 8:00 for breakfast, and he was very excited to be exploring the hotel. He enjoyed breakfast of eggs, sausage (meat and vegetarian, depending upon whose plate he was eating from), yoghurt, toast and marmalade, and an Alpen yoghurt bar, which was a first in that it was strawberry, and he hasn't eaten strawberries yet. He pronounced it "wow," and ruthlessly ate half of it before going upstairs to pee, and then watch us get ready to move to our new hotel.

Albert Hahn very kindly helped us to move our belongings to the Regent Park Marriott, which is a fifteen-minute walk from the Dawson House. He left, and Mom, John, and I decided on how we would spend the day. Jamie played with his trains, and ran a little bit, before going back into his stroller and falling asleep. He slept for about 45 minutes, waking up to the sound of the tube car's door chimes. He got to enjoy the Tube, then, a little before we got out and walked around the city of Westminster. We visited a Japanese bookstore/grocery store/restaurant, where he ate a good deal of John's oyako-don* and edamame*. Then we took him to Hamley's, an enormous toystore on Regent Street, which elicited another "wow." He loved the little toy dogs that jump and bark, and came out with a new Thomas train, Lady, who he had been talking about as the "purple engine." He had played with her at Ian and Amy's, and seems to have remembered her well.

We also bought some books for him: Gossie, and One Beautiful Baby. Later, we walked all around Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road, and Jamie fell asleep again for an hour and a half. He's pretty tired, but game, and his eyes have been enormous for most of the day. "Wow!" We picked up some groceries, and headed back to the hotel. He was pretty tired again, and seemed hell-bent on doing all the things that he wasn't supposed to do, with great glee and lack of fear. To divert him, Mom and I took him to the pool for a short (ten minute) swim, which he was not convinced (at first) that he wanted to do. However, he was in fully at his own speed, and enjoyed being swooshed around in the water. I seem to have lost my bathing suit between the pool and the room, however, and I hope that someone will have turned it in by tomorrow.

Overall, Jamie's been doing wonderfully in his new environments. He has had moments of either insecurity or where he has been feeling too much out of his environment. At one point, when I wasn't getting it fast enough, he cried out "Mio! Mio!" and needed strong parental distraction to divert him. He's been cadging for a nurse for most of the day; usually as a joke; but likely because he wants some reassurance and security. We'll cuddle together tonight, and have fun at the park tomorrow, which should help greatly. Right now he is watching Totoro with his dad, and is all bathed and ready for bed, with his hand down my shirt, looking for his nurse.

(John) After Kristen wrote that, she and Laraine ended up taking Jamie out for a walk around the block, as Jamie just couldn't fall asleep in the strange surroundings. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the fresh air though, and I hope we don't have to do it again tomorrow night.

2005-11-16 23:55 (Kristen) Jamie had a rough night last night, waking a number of times, and nursing for an hour, kicking and obviously uncomfortable. He finally ended up drinking a full drink box of juice, happy as a clam, and went back to sleep. He originally woke up at 7:00, and fell asleep again at 8:30. We all ended up sleeping in until 10 or 10:15, which we all needed.

We tried to get Jamie to the Princess of Wales playground in Kensington Gardens, which is a bus ride or two from where we are. However, we ended up taking the bus in the wrong direction (thanks to my reading the map like a North American, and not like a Brit), and so it took longer for us to get there, but we saw lots of London. We had spent time running errands and having breakfast nearby the hotel as well, so it was 2:30 by the time we reached the park. Not that it mattered: Jamie had fallen asleep on the bus around 2:00. He slept while Mom and I walked through Kensington Gardens, and managed to walk east instead of south to the Victoria and Albert Museum (my sense of direction was utterly inoperative today, to my extreme annoyance). We took the bus from Marble Arch to Trafalgar Square, and spent a lovely hour or two going through the National Gallery (one of my favourite places). Jamie slept like an angel, and got comments on how lovely he was. There were lots of angel pictures to compare him to!

He woke up soon after we left the museum, and after sleeping for close to three hours. He was calm and peaceful as we walked along the street to St. James, and up to Green Park tube station, to take the Jubilee Line back to the hotel. Before doing so, we ordered some Indian takeaway, and did some grocery shopping at Waitrose, one of the two big grocery store chains here. Jamie insisted on carrying the basket, to the great amusement of the store workers, who thought that he was great. He didn't manage so well to do it on his own, which he insisted on doing after he tired of us both carrying it together. Then we picked up the food, and headed back to the hotel to find John, it being almost 6:30, and we being faint from hunger.

Jamie loved the Indian food, and declared it "wow" with an appreciative "mmmm." He ate a good deal, and then came with us down to the tournament reception. There he stayed glued to John, who he obviously missed, and ran around laughing maniacally through the tournament site. He also met Valentin, who is the son of one of the other Scrabble players, and who is exactly one week younger than Jamie. They seemed to get along, and Jamie was delighted to meet another baby. They passed like two ships in the night, like all children that age do, and then it was time to go upstairs to bed.

Like last night, this was easier said than done. He had a great bath, and we read four books together, but he burst into real sobs when I turned out the light. Fortunately, John arrived soon after that, and came upon us watching an episode of Rubbadubbers. Jamie was delighted to see John, but it became abundantly clear that Jamie wasn't going to bed in bed. Mom and I put him into the stroller again, and he was asleep in less than fifteen minutes out in the cool night air. We walked for close to an hour, going down to Regent's Park and back, talking and keeping Jamie asleep. He woke up again when we got in, but has settled again and is now sawing his little pile of twigs. We hope that tonight will be better than last night, as we have a big day ahead of us. Grammie is planning to run his little legs off tomorrow, which is something that he really needs.

John has just asked me if my mom is finding Jamie's antics just a little too amusing. Mom is amused.

2005-11-17 21:58 (Kristen) Jamie slept a little better last night once we took him in with us, which was a relief. He was awake when we got up in the morning around 8, and had his breakfast with Grammie while John and I went to work. They played with puzzles for a bit (Jamie rules at puzzles), and then Jamie climbed into his stroller and slept for two hours. Mom walked him down to Regent's Park and back, and came by to visit between rounds for some lunch.

He woke up and stayed awake for the rest of the day. Mom walked him around Primrose Hill, and he ran around a bit, but was mostly content to sit and let Mom show him the sights. By the evening, he was ready to see me and John, and he ran about kinetically first. He almost fell asleep in the stroller when we went out for Thai food, but stayed awake long enough to eat a good deal of noodles, chicken, soup, and rice. He read books with me and John, played with trains, hid in the closet opening and closing the doors, and is in the bath with John now. I don't know if I have to walk him again tonight to get him to sleep again, but that's not a bad thing. The nights are pleasant, if a bit chill, and Jamie likes sleeping in the open air. The houses around here are enormous and worth a look too.

(John) Yes, they did have to go out for a walk, but he's sleeping now. He stirred once, but insisted on nestling into me instead of Kristen for a change. I think he missed me today.

He adores his Grammie, whom he calls "Raggie". I can't begin to imagine how she must be spoiling him when we're not around.

2005-11-18 22:59 (Kristen) Jamie often goes back to sleep in the morning after John and I leave for the tournament. He goes to his stroller and tried to climb in, which is his cue to Grammie that he'd like to sleep. Today he climbed in after only an hour after waking up, and slept for three hours. He's still fighting a cold, so he probably really needed it.

Mom took him to the zoo this afternoon, along with Kate Boys and her little, one-month-old son, Alexander. They didn't stay long, as it gets dark early here, and Alexander wasn't having a great day, but Jamie had a great time. He saw the monkeys and the penguins, which he will talk about, and played a good deal on the play structure that he found. He fell asleep when Mom tried to take him out to get groceries around 5:30, and slept for 20 minutes like a little log before she was able to wake him up. We're gearing up to take him outside for his nightly stroll, which I hope will keep him asleep well. He didn't sleep well last night again, and woke up a few times. I was a little ragged today, but coffee helps a good deal. Jamie is happy, doing his puzzles (John: he can do his 24-piece Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle unassisted in 15 minutes now), and running around like a maniac.

2005-11-19 25:09 (Kristen) Jamie didn't go to sleep until 12:45 last night, after his little nap in the afternoon. He was not ready to go for his walk at 11:45, and just sat in his stroller as Mom and I walked him in the cold night air to St. John's Wood along Regent's Park, back to Primrose Park, and then to the hotel again for a final swing around the block. He slept better once he was actually asleep than he has for the last few nights, which is a blessing.

Mom decided that there would be no repeats of yesterday, and kept him up and about all morning with no chance for a morning nap. Jamie happily went along, and Grammie fed him dry cereal (his favourite) and other snacks. We met up for lunch around 1 or so, but I did see them briefly between rounds earlier in the morning. Jamie was playing with Valentin Koshnaw, the son of a Scrabble player, who is exactly one week younger than Jamie. They spent much time standing in front of the gift shop window, discussing the little kitchy cat statues ("meow! meow!) and the double-decker buses and black police cars for sale. Valentin's mother commented that much cleaning would have to be done on that window at their level. I was delighted at how well they were getting along: they both call each other "baby," although neither of them calls themselves "baby." Jamie came along at one point to get Valentin's attention, and grabbed his hand to pull him over to where he wanted to go (possibly for a game of tag). It was the sweetest thing: they're both blond, and almost the same height and size. By the end of the day, Valentin was calling Jamie by name, and Jamie was starting to do the same with Valentin. If we're ever in Hanover, we have to visit.

Jamie ate a truly enormous lnch of salmon, prosciutto, beans, potato, noodles, and tomatoes for lunch, washed down with a piece of pie that he ate the filling for but not the crust. Then he slept for over three hours for my mom, which was great. By the time the tournament was over, he was just waking up, and after saying "bye" to Valentin, we headed upstairs. We ate some dinner, and then John and I took Jamie to the pool. He was delighted, and played in the pool for almost an hour. I think that he'd still be there, if he could. He liked his water wings, and his flutterboard, and foam tube ("noodle"). The pool is exceptionally shallow, although way over his head in the deep end (To my chest), and perfect for playing with Jamie. He dealt well with some water in his face and ears (best when JOhn shook him gently from side to side), and had some kicking practice. Finally, it was time to come back to the room, and we spent time with Mom and Rod Matheson, her friend, who finally arrived from Toronto.

Jamie had his bath, and his walk (straightaway: no fighting it, or trying to get him to fall asleep in bed) was around 11:45. He fell asleep within fifteen minutes, and is sawing little twigs now. Tomorrow, John and I will be annotating the finals of the World Scrabble Championship, between our friend Adam Logan and the excellent Thai player, Pakorn Nemitrmansuk. Jamie will spend some more time with Grammie before she leaves for Paris with Rod on Monday. Mom has said many times to me how much she's enjoyed getting to know Jamie and to spend time with him. He'll miss her when she's gone: he really enjoys her company, and is delighted when he sees her after a break.

2005-11-20 23:07 (Kristen) Jamie slept better last night, which was a relief. He woke up around 7:30 with the light, and was in a not bad mood by the time my mom arrived to look after him for the day. We saw him at lunch, but he was asleep, and apparently slept for about two and a half hours in total. He was very happy to see us when we were finished with the tournament, and needed some intense mom and dad time, which was reasonable. He started to melt down a bit by 7:00, and possibly because he hadn't eaten enough up to that point and was hungry. We went out for dinner at a nearby teppanyaki restaurant (where they make the meal in front of you) with other members of the Scrabble committee who had worked on the tournament, and he wasn't focused enough to sit and eat in his usual way. We did lots of climbing up and down the stairs, to make sure that the stroller was happy in the cloakroom and to burn off some energy. The chefs use oil to make volcanoes out of onions, and Jamie found this very scary and wasn't interested in sitting at the table anymore much after that. We eventually got enough food into him, but by 9 it was time for him to go home. My mom and her friend Rod came by and took Jamie back to the hotel, and say that Jamie didn't last to the sidewalk before he was asleep. Poor mite.

John tells me that he pointed out some Scrabble players to Jamie by saying "Look, Scrabble people." Jamie then ran up to them and said "Hello, Scrabble People." He was also very fond of Alexander Boys (six weeks old), and called out "Baby!" whenever he wanted to see him. He is very very interested in babies, and in children his own age; much more than he used to be. I hope that he enjoys Miro and Ezra as much.

(John) Oh, and our friend Adam Logan won the World Scrabble Championship.

2005-11-21 23:00 (John) We had breakfast at the excellent hotel restaurant for the first time this morning. We hadn't done so before because we'd been told months ago that breakfast was an extra £10 per person, but it turned out that we had been misinformed: it was free. Jamie ate well, then ran maniacally around burning off sugar.

We tidied up a bit in preparation for our departure tomorrow, and to help Laraine and Rod with their departure today for Paris, then took the Jubilee line to Waterloo station, bought tickets for Laraine and Rod, and left their luggage at left luggage.

We split up then, with Laraine and Kristen going off to the Tate gift shop and Rod, Jamie and I heading straight across the Thames. We crossed the Hungerford Footbridge, where Jamie could have stood all day watching the trains go in and out of Charing Cross Station, bought him a quiche Lorraine and an apple pastry in the station, of both of which he made quick work, then walked around Trafalgar Square, up Martin's Lane to Long Acre to Neal Street, checking to make sure that the Neal's Yard Dairy and the Tea House were still in business. At that point Jamie reminded me that our promised goal was in fact a toy shop, so we went back down to Covent Garden and the London Transport Museum gift shop, in its temporary location while the museum itself undergoes major renovations. He liked the diecast vehicles, and would have left the store with one of the new generation of Thomas the Tank Engine trains, which I don't like because they're not track-compatible (!), but instead had a large poo and we beat a hasty retreat for a bathroom where I could change his diaper (*blank stare from shopkeeper I asked for directions*... I mean his nappy).

It was at about this point that my day suddenly became very hectic, as the Canadian news media had discovered that our friend Adam Logan had won the World Scrabble Championship, the fourth Canadian to do so, and were eager to track him down. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the phone to Canada and to our London publicist, Suzanne Martin, eventually getting Andrew Golding and Linda Espallardo to meet Adam at the airport with cellphones so that he could appear on CBC Radio's national newsmagazine, As It Happens.

Not wanting to have to buy the wrong train, I took Jamie to a toyshop downstairs, which had a fabulous collection of wooden toddler toys. Nice old-fashioned things like the toy where you hammer the pegs through, then turn the board upside down and do it again. I regretted not getting Jamie one of those six months ago, when he would have loved it. Now, he enjoyed it, but quickly figured out that if you stood the board up on end and really whacked the pegs, you could get them to fly out and across the room. We stayed there for an hour, but I didn't feel guilty, because Jamie's enthusiastic playing with the toys must have boosted sales. We bought a small set of wooden blocks, which can be his travel set.

Kristen caught up with us at around 16:00, popped him in the stroller and he fell asleep, so I took a much needed lunch break at Food for Thought. We met up again at Books Etc., then walked via Leicester Square over to Regent Street so that we could catch the #13 bus straight home. I worked for a few hours answering phones and e-mail, Jamie got himself worked up to a fairly hyper state, and he's now out for his bedtime walk with Mom.

I don't think I've mentioned, but Jamie has been extremely father-centred this trip, I think because he's used to seeing a lot more of me. At home, he spends most of the night sleeping on top of Kristen, but here he has to snuggle into me, and if I leave the bed to work for too long he will raise his head and plead "Papa!" which always makes me come back. I'd better stop now and pack so that I'll be ready for bed when he returns.

* For the benefit of Scrabble players, words that are not in the Scrabble dictionary are marked with an asterisk.

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