Home again and the last few days of summer sunshine have been replaced by gloomy rain. Summer has come and gone. L'Ile d'Yeu is a fantastic little island, and I'll go back, maybe in 2 years, when Madeleine will be a little older. She was a very good sport though, only cried a bit when we settled her onto the bike, but once it got going, she was the happiest baby on the block! She really enjoyed the beach, more than I did since I had to sit out in the shade with her most of the time and had to keep her from eating sand. She just kept shoving sand in her mouth! I don't know why!
In a few days' time, it'll be back to school for me! I went to my old university the other day to enroll myself in the master's program and just felt really old when I saw the other students. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I felt dead tired and also Madeleine was on me in her baby carrier...I guess I just realised I can no longer have that carefreeness I had from my undergrad years. I remember while being pregnant my mother told me once I become a parent, I'll never sleep the same. Very wise, very wise indeed. I definitely do not sleep the same, but I also don't live the same anymore. I do EVERYTHING with Madeleine, and I mean everything...from eating to going to the loo, to going shopping to sleeping....everything. Even taking a shower. Going back to school will be the first time I do something without her. We'll see how that goes. I won't have many hours of class, but it still feels like a pretty giant step. Next comes going back to work...but that's not just yet.
I sort of knew I had a strong minded girl...but I wasn't expecting stubborn. She is trying to crawl (but going backwards instead), pulling herself to a stand, trying to wave, babbling, and eating on her own. In fact, for about 3 weeks now, she's refusing to eat any kind of pureed anything. She only eats what we eat and by herself, thank you very much! I keep trying to feed her baby food, and she just shuts her mouth real tight. When I do manage a bite, she spits it out. Why bother? Bring on baby led weaning and finger foods!!!