Letters to Ilysha #6

 Dear Ilysha,

I got to see you again today.

I was waiting at the Contact Centre from about half past 9, impatient for you to arrive! Mummy turned up with you and sat the other side of the room - I knew better than to approach uninvited, and no invite was forthcoming so I sat waiting to see you and hold you once more.

We went into the play area and you were grinning at me out of your pram whilst we signed in. Daddy was smiling back, you have that effect on him, contagious and inevitable :) - Mummy let me take you out of the pram and then left for an hour which made Daddy happy, no forced smiles or conversation needed.

I carried you into the playroom and gave you a big cuddle, Daddy loves kissing and hugging his little Princess! You were suffering with your toothypegs and got upset a lot - Mummy had told Daddy he wasn't allowed to let you have your dummy so you were biting every toy we played with.

You were very restless and didn't have much of an attention span this week - you seemed to get very bored and disinterested unusually quick, nothing kept you entertained so Daddy spent a lot of time cuddling you and calming you down. We played a little, you giggled still when I held you in the air, tickled your belly and when we played Row Row Row Your Boat :)

Mummy came back and made you cry within 10 minutes because she sat you down leaning against her legs and turned away to look in her bag and you fell between her legs and bumped your head on the bench! Then she picked you up apologetically and said she'd told you not to push back... that's right, nothing is ever Mummy's fault - Daddy learned that a while back.

Mummy told Daddy to accompany her to change your nappy and then tried to belittle him telling him to pay close attention as if Daddy didn't know anything. Daddy told Mummy he knew how to change a nappy - he's changed hundreds in his life for his little brother and sisters. Mummy didn't like being denied the chance to be patronising so became argumentative and started insulting Daddy. Daddy just ignored her, because he was there to see you :)

You wouldn't stay calm for long and Mummy was annoying Daddy, so I picked you up and carried you out of the room cuddling you. You stayed calm for a while but kept getting upset and crying - I think it was your toothypegs because you calmed down whenever you had something to bite - including Daddy's shoulder hehe :') - I spent around 45 minutes just carrying you around and comforting you when you got upset, which Mummy wasn't happy about because I'd taken you out of her sight.

Time was up before long, and you had to leave again. Daddy never likes having to let you go, but at least you were calmer when you left.

Daddy loves you Princess, and I can't wait for next week already - hopefully you'll be a bit happier by then :)

I love you Ilysha with all my heart.

Daddy x x x