Author: Claire

So Bloody Noisy

I live in an area of South Dublin called Ballybrack and it’s got to be one of the noisiest places I’ve ever lived in (the noisiest is probably the centre of Dublin in an apartment above a taxi rank).

Our bedroom is on the side of the house nearest to the road and every night there are dogs barking, car alarms and house alarms going off, drunken arguments and, the worst of all, the boy racers and moped riders. I mean come on, is there anything sadder? If you have the kind of money it takes to soup up your Fiat Uno with ridiculous exhausts and spoilers than why not buy a proper car?? And as for mopeds, do you really think you look cool on something that sounds like a clapped-out hairdryer?

There is a guy who rides his moped around the housing estate across from us every single night; up, down and around the cul de sacs as if he’s cruising the streets of Rome. Oh for a long stick to jam into those spokes. I’m usually a pretty laid back person but at 1am when I’m grabbing the precious couple of hours I get to sleep between feedings I can get ugly when it’s ruined on me.

A couple of weekends ago we were treated to a 2am domestic between some neighbours. Picture my husband and I perched like prairie dogs peeking out the window. It was all “You f**kin’ slept wi’ me last night and now you’re on the couch with hoo-er!”

At least yell a bit more backstory so we can really follow along!

Matt & Eve At The Beach

Matt & Eve At The Beach, originally uploaded by gingerpixel.

Taken last Sunday afternoon on Killiney beach.

Personal

I Am Your Dentist

I read somewhere that the most grating sound on the human ear is a baby’s cry. I can certainly identify with that! I have to disagree though, it may be guaranteed to shoot stress levels through the roof but it’s not the worst. I think by far the most horrible sound is the sound of a dentist’s drill. That dreadful whining whistling noise! Today I spent 2 hours in a dentist’s chair for the fourth time this summer (I’m having my bite corrected). If you’ve not been to the dentist lately (eww, go to the dentist!) a few things have changed for the better since I was a kid:

One of my memories of sitting in that chair as a child is the view…the dentist’s hairy nostrils. They wear masks now so you don’t have that wonderful sight anymore.
Needles don’t hurt as much as I remember. Dentists are a lot more gentle these days.
My dentist has a cd player in the surgery so you can listen to nice soothing music while you’re being drilled. It’s not loud enough to drown it out completely (nothing is) but it is something relaxing to concentrate on.
They have rubber wedges to bite on so that you don’t have to hold your mouth open for hours on end. No more “Now open wide please.”
The water’s not pink anymore. Did you know that that pink stuff doesn’t do anything, it’s actually supposed to be for the taste! Plus it’s not good for you.
They don’t like to use mercury to fill your teeth, they now use a tooth coloured resin which blends nicely with the rest of your teeth. Actually most kids these days are getting their teeth sealed when they come through so they’re less likely to get cavities in the first place!
I’ve even heard that “drilling” can be done with lasers although only on teeth which don’t already have fillings. So perhaps that awful noise will become a thing of the past too.

Eve

…And The Worst Buys

Now the things I wish I’d never wasted my cash on:

Slings of any description-I even bought this fancy sling and Eve wasn’t impressed. Plus it never felt like she was very secure in it.

Baby thermometers that go under the arm-have you ever tried to get an ill baby to sit still with a cold metal stick in her armpit?

Her moses basket-granted this was a gift but I’d say she spent 20 minutes tops sleeping in it. Eve wouldn’t sleep in anything other than her carseat for the first 4/5 months.

This book-if you can get your newborn baby to sleep and wake according to anything resembling a routine I salute you!

Eve