Joburg

So here's a funny thing: getting conflicting safety advice about flying with a babe in arms from two different airlines.

When we flew from Toronto, the airlines gave me another seatbelt to loop through my seatbelt and around Swee'pea's belly. The attendant told me that the safest position for him was facing forward. I did think that if any force were applied to the strap, Swee'pea would likely suffer internal injuries, but figured if that happened we were all toast anyways. And because Swee'pea is so squirmy, I kind of liked having a bit of insurance.

Today, on a different airline, the attendant said they don't give out those straps anymore because it's not safe. They've tested it. So I just held him in my arms, and because there was no leg room, he couldn't slip down between our legs anyways.

All of this mostly just serves to make me more anxious.

I was so itchy and the new ointment wasn't cutting it so I took a Benadryl just before we flew. It occurs to me now that it was the non-drowsy formulation, so likely had some stimulants in it, and stimulants are probably not the best thing before this nervous flyer is launched into the air. I cried during takeoff, I felt so scared. I think it was the Benadryl. So the flight was mostly fine; Swee'pea fell asleep right after takeoff and didn't wake up until we were safely back on the ground. But there was some turbulence when we encountered some high clouds, and I did feel very very anxious. Nevertheless, I enjoyed having a window seat for once, and found the last few minutes before landing exhilerating.

So... we're here in Joburg, staying with Auntie J. They have a beautiful big old sort of 1920's house, all on one floor, which is great for Swee'pea. He's having a blast. And there are all kinds of authentic art deco light fixtures and door knobs that I just love. It's a really comfortable house, tidy but homey, with just enough clutter to make me feel at home. And Auntie J and Uncle R are suitably keen on Swee'pea.

With all this heat, we've been giving Swee'pea lots of cool baths and dips in pools. He loves it. He's really living up to his astrological sign (Aquarians ARE water babies, right?). After his early months of absolutely hating the bath, it's a real pleasure to watch him splash and smile and giggle.

Oh -- and another plus to staying here is that they work from home and so have TWO computers, both with a high speed connection. Yippee!

So here's the weird guy in the back of the truck:

And a couple of treats from the Bo Kaap... lurid, eh? I LOVED it!

There are more pics on my flickr page, though it's annoying uploading from cd so I may just wait till we're home. Also if I post all my Bo Kaap pictures now, everything else will be a disappointment. So I'm being strategic.

Anyways, today we took Swee'pea to the zoo, which he didn't enjoy as much as the aquarium. I think it was hard for him to see the animals when he didn't really know what he was looking at. It's also hot here, and right now he is taking a nap with Sugar Daddy. Tomorrow we're being 'fetched' in the morning to go to Pilanesberg Game Reserve, which I'm told will be even hotter than Cape Town or Joburg. I hope they have air conditioning. We're still miserable with mosquito bites, and there are still mosquitoes here, which seem to have a nose for us, and leave the rest of the family. I think Swee'pea is also teething, so last night was rough.

I keep thinking about things I want to say on my blog but the heat is melting my brain and I can't remember when I get in front of the computer. Until I remember, I guess that's it...

ps - these are all images from Cape Town. I haven't shot much here yet.