I sent him for his very first sleepover when my husband was also away so I could have a night of total freedom from responsibility. But the following morning, after waking up to meditate and then climbing back into bed with a cup of tea and a meringue-frosted cupcake, I found myself pacing the house with nothing I would rather do but go and fetch him so we could have a bit of fun together. I actually missed him. It was quite a shock.

After all those evenings out and days when I went to work … when I would leave the house, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white and, with racing heart and quickened breath, round the corner out of Hout Bay on two wheels, shrieking and hollering about being free … I’ve reached a point of freedom that doesn’t require being away from my child. Maybe it’s because he became more of a human, or maybe it’s because I did, but I actually love being around him. When I go out, I look forward to getting back home to cuddle his sleeping form and feel his warm breath on my cheek when I kiss him goodnight and, when I go to work, I look forward to the light relief of rolling on the lawn with him when I get home.

Sure, I still enjoy my times away from him, but I am now confident that I will always return.

I spend a lot of time and energy damning the disposable nappy and giving people every conceivable reason to be using terrycloth … and here I am totally oblivious (well, not so oblivious anymore, I suppose) to the harmful effects to my own body, not to mention the damaging effects on the environment caused by a similarly harmful product: the sanitary towel.

I need feedback please. Anyone used a Mooncup or Miacup? This is the little plastic goblet that replaces the need to use tampons and Sanitary towels. It looks easy enough to use … but I don’t actually know anyone who has every tried one out and would love to hear a few ‘reviews’ before I rush out and buy one.

For those who have never heard of these things, look at the following pages:

http://www.miacup.co.za/index.php

http://www.mooncup.com/

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/

The last few years have come with more change than I have been able to deal with, but on Sunday morning I woke up and I decided I needed more. I didn’t realise just how much of a change I was going to get. It seems every time things in my life are unsettled, I either change my hair or get a tattoo. Thankfully I have changed my hair a lot and only have the one tattoo … but, considering the current shade of my hair, I think the tattoo will get my vote next time.

I thought I had heard it all. Apparently not. I met a woman at the party of a friend of my child’s. She has two children, both boys, and they are at an age that they are playing with each other and therefore no longer need their mum to play with them. She is bored and feels this is a great reason to have another baby: to keep her busy again. I can’t claim to understand the urge to keep procreating, but this just seemed odd.

Some women have babies because they don’t want to work any more, some women have babies to keep their husbands happy, some women have babies to keep their families and friends happy, some have them because they just think it’s the thing to do. There are all sorts of reasons to have but seemingly little reason not to.

Well, here’s your first list: reasons not to have a baby

1. Do I need to mention the carbon footprint issue again?
2. Unless you’re single already, there’s a very big chance you will end up that way.
3. Your childless friends can’t identify with you anymore.
4. You can’t indentify with you anymore.
5. You have to go to school events and be nice to everyone.
6. Certain considerations need to be given to any kind of sexual activity in the house (although I believe this is reversed in the teenage years).
7. Quiet contemplation has to be done at 4.30 in the morning to beat the wake-up call.
8. Snot.
9. Vomit.
10. Every time your child is away from you it feels like you have allowed your heart to go walkabout and you will never survive if it doesn’t return.

Conception may be quicker than a trip to the mall to check out the latest offerings by designers but it seems it is treated with less value than adding the latest trend to ones wardrobe. Having a baby is the defining moment to begin a rollercoaster of defining moments for decades to come … how then can having a child be based on a selfish need such as a desire to be kept busy? Normality is as foreign a concept to me as it is to anyone else … but, come on!