Too damn cute

Ari is going through the cutest phase at the moment. Rob and I are just entranced with every single thing he does.
He's always been cute, don't get me wrong. But he's interacting with us so much more these days and just seems fascinated with every thing we do and say.
It's like a little personality is slowly being unleashed and we get the first glimpse at it.
I never imagined babies had little personalities, but they are all so very different. I get it now!
Ari is such a happy, inquisitive little chap. He forever wants to know what's going on around him and particularly what his Mummy and Daddy are up to.
He giggles uncontrollably when you tickle him under his arms and under his chin. He chuckles at his Daddy's funny faces. He is fascinated with his own hands and watches intently as he wiggles his little fingers.
I heard a character on a TV show recently say that a baby has a look that's just for their mum or dad. With Ari, it's a little knowing smile of recognition. And it melts my heart every time.

Baby clothes

Is it just me or are cool baby clothes terribly hard to find?
I must be fussier than most because when I was pregnant, I found it almost impossible to find nice maternity wear (and wrote an article for the Herald Sun saying so, much to the displeasure of certain maternity retailers in Melbourne).
If you think I'm over-reacting, I suggest you do the following: Go into Myer's baby department and take a short stroll around the racks and racks of clothes.
If you can find more than 3 things you would put on your own child, I'll be very shocked (and no, the Bonds section doesn't count).
Which brings me to the only reason my Ari isn't wearing some sort of hessian bag - Bonds!
Ari wears Bonds singlets, Bonds jumpsuits, Bonds thermals, Bonds socks and Bonds jackets - not because we have any great loyalty to Pat Rafter, but because it's the only brand churning out affordable, cool baby clothing - not a pink frill or teddy bear in sight.
The only other brand Ari seems to wear with any regularity is his Nanny Eileen's fantastic knitted cardigans and the odd op shop gem (thanks Aunty Louise).
Every day it seems I read an article in a newspaper or magazine about a fashion designer who decided to start up their own children's wear range. It's no wonder, really.
While I don't profess to be any bastion of cool when it comes to clothes, I at least try to look somewhat funky, so why wouldn't I want the same for my son?

Footy

Today Ari went to his first footy match - the annual Sacred Heart Mission Community Cup at the Junction Oval in St Kilda.
It's always an enjoyable day, but this year was even more so because it's one of the few rock-type events we can frequent these days with a baby in tow.
A sunny day, great friends, a VB or two and some footy action - what could be better?
I know - if only we could have made it through the huge crowd to the snag tent...

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Every day with Ari is new and different. For a mother who yearned for a routine right from the start, I've had to learn to just go with the flow with this kid.
At 2 months old we went through a terrible time because he wouldn't sleep for 10 hours or more - every day he was awake from midday until about 10pm.
Of course once he was in bed, he'd sleep through the night (something most parents would kill for!).
The longest he ever went was from 9am until midnight one particularly horrific day.
We wished and wished he would sleep during the day.
After contemplating sleep schools and controlled crying techniques, Ari beat us to it and just decided one day he would go to sleep during the day.
But of course he still wouldn't go to bed until 10pm! Then it was 9pm, then a blissful 3 weeks of 8.30pm bedtimes. And now it seems we've achieved what seemed like the impossible a few months ago - a 7.30pm bedtime.
Of course instead of waking at his usual 7am, Ari is now stirring at 5am!
Not that we're complaining...but with a baby, you really can't have it all.

Nicknames

I'm one of those people who seems to have accumulated a lot of nicknames over the years (everything from Cob to WakPak, if I'm not mistaken - don't ask!).
It seems Ari is destined for the same fate.
He's not even 5 months old and has already been given a raft of nicknames.
His in-utero name was The Gipper, named after the late US President Ronald Reagan, who died around the same time Ari was conceived. Hardly followers of conservative American politics, Rob and I still have no idea why the name stuck. It was even shortened to Gippy at a later stage.
My sister Lauren came up with her own in-utero nickname - Frysie, named after Ryan Fitzgerald from last year's Big Brother house. I even sought out Frysie at last year's Melbourne Cup and asked him to pose for a photo with my pregnant self. He happily agreed, though was understandably bemused when I told him the story.
Once Ari was out in the world, these names were dropped and new ones quickly emerged (most courtesy of Aunty Lauren).
The tally currently includes Little Prince of Collingwood, LP, Gonk Features, Gonk, Features, Princey, Puss, Puddin', Puss Face, Little Neddy, Stench Blossom and Youngling.

Meet Ari

Name: Ari Murdoch Danaher-Flavell
DOB: January 25, 2005
Age: 5 months
Hair: Gingery brown
Eyes: Could be hazel, could be brown. Who knows?
Favourite food: Mummy's milk
Hobbies: Chewing, looking at his hands, Neddy Flanders-style screaming.
Likes: Brown-haired ladies, watching The Price Is Right, plastic rings, baths, being tickled.
Dislikes: Drinking from bottles.
Music tastes: Underworld, his Daddy's made-up crazy tunes.
Current fashion trend: Bonds suits with his Nanny's knitted cardigans, smurf fleecy boots, "Ice Planet of Hoth" knitted hat.
Favourite book: Fox in Sox.
Personality traits: Inquisitive and happy.
Most commonly heard comments about Ari: "He's a bonny boy" (bonny meaning fat!), "Gee you sure know who is father is!" (Ari looks exactly like his Daddy), "Look at those cheeks" (see bonny above), "He's huge!" (You don't have to tell me - I'm the one who carries him all day).