Dear Florence,

I’m still having a stupidly idyllic time being a mum, and I wish these days would go on for much longer than they are going to. I’m already grieving their end, which is two and a half months away. 

Astro Girl has officially grown out of the smallest size baby wear. She can probably technically squeeze into some of it for a few more days, especially if we are talking about a particularly cute outfit. But we made the official pronouncement last night after Tallboy struggled to get her into a footed jumpsuit. He did manage it, but in a rather stretched looking way, so we took some photos and then changed her into a similar outfit one size bigger.

The first big blow to my equanimity came a few days ago, when I learnt that I cannot have any dairy or soy products for the next few months. It really shook me, and took me about a day to fully digest the news. I’m still quite grumpy about it, but I am now keen to see what ingenuities I can cleave out in the kitchen. Rather than think about all the food I can’t have, I’ve decided to see myself as a (reluctant) meat-eating vegan. Then I realise I can eat eggs and honey, which vegans can’t, and it feels like the possibilities begin to open up a little.

It’s hard to decide whether it’s the food restrictions or the ban on milk in my tea and coffee which makes me sadder. It feels particularly cruel because I gave up so much delicious food during pregnancy, and was counting down the days until I could eat it all again. My breakfast this morning is bearable, rather than the triumph of tastiness I’d like it to be. Almond flavoured tea with almond milk is drinkable, although the idiocy of almond milk as a concept is a bit tough for me to swallow. My very carefully chosen bread (most brands contain soy flour) has been spread with Nuttalex instead of butter. There’s no getting around the fact that this is A Distinct Disappointment. I love butter. I’d marry butter if I could. However, I’m pleased that I decided to get bread studded with black olives, as they do a pretty good job of masking the kind of plasticky Nuttalex flavour.

At the end of the day, the purpose of all this is for Astro Girl, and she is so bloody cuddly and adorable that there’s no question I will stick to the diet as long as necessary. 

GB