So, today is another big first: Patrick's first day back at work since I went into hospital a month ago. Eep! Most incredibly, he still got up at 2:30 this morning to look after Mr Darcy (whom I'd been wrangling until then w/o any sleep success), and he didn't wake me up to give Mr Darcy back until after 8am, just at the last moment before he had to leave for work.

He is such an awesome husband. And I really, really hope for his sake that he manages to get through work without falling asleep...

So far, Mr Darcy and I have had a very chilled-out morning, starting with a long hang-out in bed, verrrry slowly waking up for the day, before I finally got up to make myself breakfast (oatmeal w/apples & honey - yum!). One neat thing that I'm discovering is that first thing in the morning after he's woken up for the day, right around my breakfast time, is actually a really fun time. He's happy and alert and interested in everything, and it's the only time in the whole day (or night) that he'll willingly lie in his basket, making funny little sounds and looking around with pleased interest. It's a good time to play with his black-and-white crinkly peacock with him, and to gurgle and coo over him and listen to him gurgle back.

Maya got into the action, too, racing around the house chasing the toy I tossed for her while I sat by Mr Darcy's basket drinking my morning tea. I'd been so worried before he was born about how I would deal with both of them on my own, but so far they're doing very well in sort of parallel play. He noticed her for the very first time yesterday (see his latest blog entry) and was completely fascinated - she's even better than the black-and-white peacock! But luckily he's too young still to reach out and grab her or chase after her, so she's happy to curl up right next to him as we all hang out on the futon together.

Last night was not quite so much fun until the 2:30 hand-off, but at least I watched some interesting shows. My favorite was the new ITV version of Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes, with Emma Watson as Pauline. I'd rented the DVD, and it turned out to be lovely - a very faithful adaptation of the book, but well adapted for the screen, and with an expanded storyline for the girls' guardian that actually enhanced the story. (My only quibble was that there was a bit of a logic issue at the very, very end, in just the last couple of scenes - I hope there was an answer to it, but if so, that wasn't shown in the movie - but really, I was having too much fun to care.) My bet is that anyone who liked the book will like the movie. I loved the book, and I loved the movie, too.

And there's a new BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit, adapted (of course!) by Andrew Davies, and with a whole line-up of great actors. I have to confess that I have never been a fan of Dickens's books (apart from The Christmas Carol, which my family used to read out loud every Christmas, and which I do love), but the great advantage of the TV versions is that you get the stripped-down, high-drama stories and wacky characters without all the added prose around them. (I know I'm probably speaking blasphemy to all the Dickens fans reading this - I'm sure there are tons of people who love sinking into his prose as much as I adore sinking into Austen - but sadly, it's just never worked for me.) So I did enjoy the first episode, and I'll probably keep watching...and, ah, based on some of the Doctor Who fanfic/slash-fic I've heard about, I'm guessing that a lot of male Doctor Who Season 3 fans might want to watch it, too, if only for the storyline that's developing for Freema Agyeman...

But now it's time for my next big first - taking Maya and Mr Darcy out for her morning walk together for the first time...which means I'll have to finally figure out how to use a baby sling, something that's been intimidating me for a while. (His stroller, while lovely, is WAY too big & bulky for me to manage while holding Maya's leash.) Wish me luck...