- First thing in the morning - this may sound a little crazy, but the first half an hour after Jake wakes up is possibly my favourite time of all. I'm normally the one who gets him when he wakes up (my wife claims not to hear his cries, I still think she's messing with my head) and since I'm a morning kind of person, I don't mind being wide awake at some point between half 5 and 7. I especially don't mind as once I've got a bottle in his mouth to assuage the terrible hunger, it's incredibly peaceful. I deliberately keep the curtains shut and only turn on the fairy lights behind the chair and there's a wonderful calm feeling as he sits, warm and waking up, in my arms eating. Once he's done, I sit him on my lap and we smile and giggle at each other. He'll play with my hands, the cord on my dressing gown and the arms of the chair and chatter to me. It's always cut short (during the week at least) by the fact that I've got to go to work, but I never mind as it takes me to another favourite time.
- Dropping him off with mummy - as mentioned before, my wife is a heavy sleeper (or a very good pretender!), but sadly I can't take Jake to work with me (though I think the kids would love him!) so I have to wake her up to take him whilst I shower and get ready for the day. She sleepily moves across and makes space for him on the pillow and his little face lights up as he realises what's happening. He starts to babble at her, stroking her face and smiling his head off and it fills me with such pleasure to see this. I always come back upstairs before I need to leave and lie down so that Jake is between us. He'll stretch his arms towards me and I've taken to scooping him up and giving him a big bear hug and a squeeze that gets a squeal of enjoyment out of him. This often turns into a bit of game, and it's one of the primary reasons that I'm often a few minutes late for work.
- Food shopping - Monday night food shopping has been the preserve of the men in the house for months now (we consider ourselves to be the hunter gatherers in the family) and what started out as a way to give my wife an hour's break has turned to a highlight of my week. Jake will happily sing to his feet in the car ride over to the supermarket and then continues as we go round the store. Every now and again he'll catch my eye in the middle of an aisle and burst out laughing. I talk to him throughout and try getting him to laugh by running with the trolley. It's a dangerous game, especially if it's busy, and made even more dangerous by the fact that he will stretch his arms out to grab anything that goes near him. He always makes friends at the checkout and it feels more like a play session rather than a chore that needs doing.
- Walking - right from the word go I've walked places with Jake. It's taken me on routes of discovery all over the place, from the woods behind my house to great swathes of the Leeds Country Way (more on that in another blog!). A combination of my own fascination with finding views out over the world and Jake's love of the outdoors, and trees in particular, means that walks are always a peaceful time. We chatter, Jake just burbling with contentment, me about work, my thoughts, the future, whatever is on my mind. The exercise and the chance to clear my mind, alongside being outside, is often a cathartic experience and I come back feeling refreshed and ready for a cuddle.
These times are intertwined in with any time that I spend together with Jake and my wife together which always ends up in giggles and smiles all round. As Jake approaches 9 months, and my wife approaches the end of her maternity leave, I think these times will change in nature but the list will always exist.
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