Here we are in Rome. Our hotel room has en-suite facilities, but only a shower, not a bath. This means that Alex has been enjoying his very first showers! They’re very funny.

Our routine is that I go into the bathroom in the morning while Abi strips Alex of his pyjamas and nappy. I run the shower to get it at the right temperature. Abi then brings Alex through and hands him to me. He knows what’s coming, so he’s quite apprehensive, and he clings to my chest like a little monkey.

We then both get into the shower, me with my back to the stream of water from on high. (The shower head is fixed.) Alex clings even tighter to my shoulders and upper arms with his hands, and wraps his legs even tighter around my waist. I turn us both, very slowly, until Alex’s back is to the shower stream. He then lays his head down on my chest, closes his eyes and makes soft little contented noises.

Until I wash his hair and have to rinse the soap from his head. Some of it inevitable gets into his face, which he hates. But the wails usually subside pretty quickly, and I let him have some more restful time with the warm water running down his back, and his soft little baby face gently resting on my shoulder.

It’s very sweet.