Jill and I were apprehensive about Callum and our pet cat cohabiting. Kitty has had the run of our apartment since we adopted her three years ago, and we weren’t sure how she’d take to the new, noisy, arrival.

We’d also heard all the horror stories and old-wives’ tales about cats sucking the air out of newborn babies’ mouths and smothering them in their sleep.

As ridiculous as it all sounds, nobody wants to take risks when a baby’s involved, so we did some research and discovered most of the myths are just that, myths.

The general message was; animals can be unpredictable, but there’s no evidence to suggest they randomly attack babies. The experts recommended we “keep an eye on them” and separate the two little terrors at bedtime.

So we decided to do just that — and let these two little creatures co-exist. Callum‘s crib was shuffled into our bedroom and Kitty was evicted to the still-comfy confines of our living room.

And it’s been hilarious and equally fascinating watching them get to grips with each other.

For the first three or four months of Callum’s life, he was oblivious to the big bag of fur that occupied the same space as him. And Kitty kept her distance from the stinky pink blob — mildly irritated that she now had to share our attention, but prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

That was until a few weeks ago, when Callum noticed her for the first time. And he was instantly enthralled. Suddenly she’s the most fascinating thing in his little world, and he wants to get close to her at every opportunity.

On more than one occasion she’s got jealous during feed time and brushed passed us — only for Callum to lunge at her with both arms and swipe a clump of fur from her back.

Other times he’ll spot her lounging in a chair and race across the living room in his walker — prompting her to meow loudly and retreat to the safety of her closet cubbyhole.

When he’s on his play mat and catches Kitty out of the corner of his eye — Callum will spin around, stretch out and try his hardest to crawl towards her.

I’ve no idea if he wants to attack or just cuddle her — but it’s hilarious to watch the cat-and-mouse (or baby-and-cat) game in action.

And I think Kitty enjoys being chased by a chubby infant… for now at least.

Callum’ll be crawling soon — and I won’t fancy her chances when this little cat hunter is mobile.

Tell me about you cat/baby experiences below — and don’t forget to follow @callumgarland on Twitter!

– Ian Garland

Get More Callum!

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2. Baby Callum Is The Next Elton John

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Rocker Rod Stewart is suffering sleepless nights with newborn son Aiden — forcing him to seek shelter in the spare room!

I love that 66-year-old new dad Rod Stewart is experiencing REAL parenthood unlike many other pampered celebrities…. But perhaps he should help his wife Penny Lancaster feed, change and comfort 10-week-old Aiden rather than run away to another room!

“If the baby wakes up then you have to go sleep in the other room,” Rod reveals. “He’s up every two hours now so a few nights a week I go and sleep in another room.”

Aiden’s Rod’s EIGHTH kid, so I’m impressed he’s so hands on with his latest bundle of joy.

The singer describes it as a “good arrangement, but it seems a bit one-sided to me. I’d never get away with escaping and leaving my partner Jill to look after our baby son Callum in the middle of the night! So I’m urging Rod to man up and get his hands dirty and help out!

The star also revealed little Aiden is suffering reflux, a condition that affects around 50 percentage of newborns, whose digestive systems are not yet developed enough to handle an onslaught of milk.

He tells People.com, “He’s having a little bit of trouble with the reflux. He drinks and brings it all up again, but he’s great.”

But it seems like Rod’s embracing having another baby around, which is just as well — because he’s about to be a grandad!

His daughter Kimberly is pregnant following a fling with actor Benicio Del Toro. Rod was thought to be rumoured to be angry about the unexpected announcement — but he tells People he’s thrilled: “It’s going to be good.”

What do you think about Rod’s parenting arrangement HollyMoms? Am I being too tough on Rod. After all, he is 66!

– Ian Garland

GET MORE HERE

1. Weird But True: Kimberly Stewart Is Pregnant With Benicio Del Toro’s Baby!
2. Baby Callum’s Big Date With The Doctor!
3. Baby Callum’s First Photoshoot!

Babies have a knack of waiting until you’ve mastered their routine before changing the rules, developing a new box of tricks for you to learn all over again.

Callum recently found a novel way to tell his parents it was time to give him solid food — psychological torture.

A few weeks ago, I boasted how my baby son had started sleeping through the night. He’d learned to take on enough milk during daylight hours to enable him to sleep soundly until 7am, giving his mom and I some well earned slumber ourselves.

I knew it probably wouldn’t last, and It didn’t. Just a few days into his new very-sociable schedule, Callum started waking at 4.30am. Every night.

He’d need changing, of course. But that never usually bothers or wakes him.

Even he didn’t know why he was suddenly so awake and wide-eyed at such an awful hour. I could tell by the bemused look on his little face.

After a couple of nights, the 4.30 wake-up calls started to take their toll. Margaret Thatcher may have run Great Britain on a handful of hours’ sleep a night, but I’m no Iron Lady!

So, we tried everything and anything until we were left with the conclusion that milk was no longer enough to keep him going all night.

He’s been guzzling and gorging on the white stuff, but it’s filling up his bladder instead of his belly and causing the traumatic pre-dawn wake-up calls.

It’s not unusual for babies to start weaning at four months, so we consulted the experts and our handy manuals and started preparing him for his first ‘solid’ food.

I say ‘solid’ because there’s nothing particularly solid about what we’ve been feeding him.

It’s a sloppy mix of rice cereal and milk, followed by a dessert of pureed apple.

Callum was highly suspicious of this change of diet, particularly the baby spoon suddenly being thrust in his mouth. He’d only fed from the breast or bottle, so he’s had to learn this new grown-up technique and gobble down what we’ve offered up.

And he slowly has, managing a tablespoon or so at a time. Watch him in action the video below!

It’s a messy job and for every ounce he swallows, two or three are smeared around his mouth and another couple make their way onto whatever we happen to be wearing at the time.

But it’s starting to work. Those 4.30am wake-up calls have turned to more manageable 6/6.30 wake-up calls, which makes for a happier little baby and an ecstatic set of parents!

Don’t forget to follow Callum & his adventures on Twitter @CallumGarland

– Ian Garland

Get More Callum!

1. Baby Callum’s Big Date With The Doctor!

2. Baby Callum Is The Next Elton John

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He’s wriggling, thrashing and squirming with all his might, but baby Callum just can’t get going – and it’s frustrating the hell out of him!

Jill and I came to the conclusion early on that the little guy was in a desperate hurry to grow up and get on with his life.

When he was just weeks old he started flexing his legs and stretching out – trying so hard to stand up and support his wobbly top-heavy frame.

He’d hold his breath and squeal with joy as I held him upright on my lap.

As he’s got bigger and stronger he’s learned to hold his head up, roll over and his kicks have got stronger and stronger.

He’s still a couple months off from being able to crawl – but there’s no telling this little intrepid explorer. He wants to give it a go regardless of his physical limitations.

When we lay him down on our chests or his play mat, for tummy time, he stretches out and huffs and puffs, as he desperately tries to crawl.

You can see him in action in the video below.

It’s heartbreaking watching him collapse in a frustrated heap — but if I’m honest, I’m happy he’s still stationary for a few more weeks (the lull before the storm – as we call it)

We’ve gotten used to being able to occasionally turn our backs on him, safe in the knowledge he’ll be in the same place the next time we look.

That’ll change when this frustrated little man finally figures it all out and transforms himself into a human wind-up toy, and is capable of motoring around our apartment on his hands and knees, determined to search out every sharp object within reach of his sticky mitts — and give his parents regular daily cardiac arrests.

That day will come soon — and I have a whole lot of baby-proofing to do first!

Follow Callum on Twitter @CallumGarland for daily tales, photos and videos!

– Ian Garland

Get More Callum!

1. Baby Callum’s Big Date With The Doctor!

2. Baby Callum Is The Next Elton John

Baby Callum’s First Photoshoot!

Callum is 4 months old today. We didn’t mark the occasion with a party, cake or any balloons. As every new parent knows, this particular landmark means only one thing — a dreaded trip to the doctor’s office!

It’s been 2 months since Callum last visited his pediatrician, which sadly isn’t long enough for us to forget that he and doctors don’t mix well.

The first person to lay hands on Callum was the obstetrician who delivered him, and he rewarded her gentle touch with a scream, loud enough to perforate every ear drum in the room.

And it’s been a steady downhill slide since — culminating last time around when he peed all over the office… and the doctor… and us, during his examination.

So we were, understandably, a little anxious about his four month appointment.

We were excited too. We wanted to know how our little fella was getting on. We’ve been playing an elaborate guessing game over his weight — treating him like some kind of carnival side-show — and I was desperate to find out if he had topped 16 pounds, as I (and my sore arms) suspected.

But we were mostly worried. He was due for another round of injections, and the last time he had jabs, he didn’t react well, screaming and trembling in fear.

However the little guy was determined to prove us wrong, and embarked on a charm offensive from the moment we stepped into the doctor’s office — giggling and cooing patiently in the waiting room while the other infants squirmed, squealed and screamed.

The pediatrician looked a little concerned when she ushered us into her room — I think she remembered what happened last time and wished she was wearing something more pee-proof.

But he even won her over, flirting and fluttering his eyelashes at her and even gobbling down the drops she gave him with a smile (babies usually hate them – we were told).

When it came down to the dreaded needle, he took the first shot like a trouper, gritting his gums and holding back the tears.

Callum couldn’t stop the waterworks the second time around, but he responded with more of a whimper than a wail.

He was a little sleepy for a couple of hours after the session, but he bounced back quickly – and we were very proud, feeling terrible we’d doubted his resolve!

Callum’s due for another session in 2 months, and we’re not nearly as worried.

And as for his weight… I was wrong about that as well. He tipped the scales at 14 pounds and 12 ounces, placing him in the 50 percentile of babies his age. That means (I had to look it up) 50 percent of babies are heavier, and 50 percent of babies are lighter.

It sounds like he’s an average little chap — but I prefer the doctor’s choice of words. She said he’s “perfect” and I couldn’t agree more.

Follow Callum on Twitter @CallumGarland for daily tales, photos and videos!

– Ian Garland

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Ian Says: Baby Callum Is The Next Elton John! Wait Until You Hear His Musical Genius!

Baby Callum’s Ready For His Close-Up!

Baby Callum Is Sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG!

We’ve achieved the holy grail of all new parents. It’s taken nearly four months, but for now at least Jill and I can kiss goodbye to sleep-deprived dazes, bleary-eyed mornings and twilight tantrums.

Callum‘s sleeping all night! It all started about a week ago – and it has literally changed our lives.

Sometimes I’ll get up before Callum does — I can’t describe how amazing it is to wake up in the morning unaided by an alarm or a hungry crying infant!

We’ve even developed a little routine. If he’s awake or waking when I get up, I’ll unravel his swaddle and tickle his tummy while he stretches his arms out in a Superman pose!

See him in action in the video below!

The all-night sleeping thing is, of course, entirely normal. We just didn’t dare expect Callum to follow the rule book. He’d teased us more than once in the past by sleeping all the way through, only to wake the following night, and every night after.

But this time he’s stuck at it and so far, so good!

It’s all thanks to the routine his mom put him on when he was 2-months-old. Up until that point we’d been feeding him on demand and letting him sleep when he wanted. It was killing us!

We found the schedule in one of the numerous baby books that are now scattered around our apartment (ready for easy consultation during an infant emergency).

It prescribed feeds at 7.30, 10.30, 2pm, 6pm. Bed time at 7pm followed by a ‘dream feed’ at 10pm and a night time feed, around 2am.

He picked it up straight away, napping after each day time feed, and waking us on cue, during the wee hours of the morning for a little snack to keep him going until breakfast.

The routine helped us make sure he was getting enough food and sleep and changed his temperament overnight. On the new schedule he was happier and cried less, presumably because he was less likely to be hungry and tired.

As the weeks progressed, and Callum grew he started demanding a little more milk after each feed, and then a couple of weeks ago we noticed we were giving him an extra one, sometimes two bottles each day.

He was stockpiling, so he could last all night!

Since then he’s been feasting during the day and snoozing undisturbed through the night, allowing his beleaguered mom and dad the opportunity to get more than 4 straight hours sleep for the first time in months.

I’m sure there are plenty of bumps in the road ahead, but right now, I don’t care. I’ve rediscovered the joys of sleep and it feels good!

I’d love to hear your own baby stories. Share them below.

And you can now follow Callum’s every fart, burp, gurgle and grin on Twitter @callumgarland

– Ian Garland

Baby Callum Is The Next Elton John!

Bonding with my baby

Callum’s first words. Well, sort of!

My baby is the Incredible Hulk!

I can’t believe I didn’t spot it sooner. The clues were staring us in the face.

They’re both pudgy, bald, Brits who are prone to tantrums! And as I discovered this week, my son, Callum might just be as musically gifted as the Rocket Man himself, Elton John!

We didn’t realize Callum was blessed with such a talent until Jill thrust a new toy into his chubby mitts this week, and watched in awe as he bashed away at the miniature keyboard.

You can see for yourself in the video below!

It may not sound like much, but compared to his mother and me – he’s a virtuoso. And he’s not even four-months-old yet. The next step is to buy him a series of flamboyant onesies and point his diapered-up behind in the direction of the nearest stage.

On a more serious note, it has been fascinating watching Callum’s motor skills develop super-fast over the last few weeks.When he was born, he didn’t know what his arms were for, and couldn’t really control them. They’d flail around and instinctively shoot forward during his sleep.In the last few months he has figured out how to reach his face and he now grapples with his bottle during feed time, and takes great pleasure in sucking on his whole fist! He’s also developed a vice-like grip, whether it be his bottle, our fingers or his favorite toys.

This week he has been swinging his arms around, bashing an imaginary drum with mighty force.

And most impressive of all, he’s started to understand cause and effect. He recognizes his actions prompt a reaction. By clutching his bottle and shoving it towards his face, he gets fed, and – as demonstrated in the video – when he bashes his hand on a musical toy, he can make sounds. It’s still early days for this miniature musical maestro, but don’t be surprised to see him gracing a stage in a decade or two — even it’s more Stomp than Elton himself.

Don’t forget to share your funny baby pics, videos and stories with us!

– Ian Garland

More of my blog:

Bonding with my baby
Callum’s first words. Well, sort of!
My baby is the Incredible Hulk!

The greatest myth ever told about parenthood is that you bond the second your bambino is plucked from the womb. It sure didn’t work like that for me!

It didn’t happen the next day either.

In fact, forget the first month. I was too busy trying to keep the fragile little bundle alive — and get some sleep — to really grasp what was going on.

It was an amazing time and I felt a great sense of awe and responsibility for this little human who was so dependent on me and his mom.

But all that magic I’d been told about was hard to find at 4am when Callum was pink and screaming and we had no idea how to shut him up.

Coping with a newborn baby is something you just can’t prepare for, and the rewards are few and far between in the early weeks.

Newborns are just all take, take, take!

It’s like they are wired to make your life as difficult as possible. They’re awake when you want to sleep — And when they do doze off, you’re too paranoid to sleep yourself — terrified they’ll be spirited away the second you close your lids.

And then, as quickly as your little terror has turned your whole world upside down…. he or she decides they’ve tortured you enough, and give up their fight.

They’ll start sleeping, at night. They’ll manage to keep milk down.

And more importantly, they begin to give a little back.

It started for me the morning Callum’s eyes focused on me for the first time.

At last, this little blob I’d been cleaning and feeding around the clock for weeks acknowledged that I existed!

It seemed selfish to expect something back from my baby, but it was a huge relief to finally feel a connection with him.

Next came the smile. Not the grimace he pulls when he’s got gas, but a proper smile. He recognized me and he was actually pleased to see me.

And then, around about the first time he began to gurgle, he learned to laugh.

Now, just a few weeks after that first flicker of recognition, I can make Callum smile and laugh at will. I just have to screw up my face and grin, and he copies me with a chuckle.

His eyes follow me around the room and he craves the comfort he gets in mine or his mom’s arms.

And , just like that, the memories of those stressful, punishing, sleep-deprived nights begin to fade.

I’m smitten — and fall more in love with baby Callum every day.

So if you’re a new mom or dad, struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel… Hang in there… It’ll be well worth the wait!

– Ian Garland

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