I didn't think I'd be the kind of mum who....

....went over the top with sun protection for my baby.

I grew up in the seaside town of "Sunny Ilfracombe" and used to watch mothers slathering sun screen all over their poor children, often not even rubbing it in. This would be in addition to erecting complicated structures to offer shade to their unsuspecting children who would sit shivering, dripping with sunscreen and wearing a silly hat and sunglasses to boot. Meanwhile, their mums then proceeded to cover themselves in tanning oil and quietly bask in the sunshine.

I would not become that type of mother... or would I?

Here you see young Lyra sitting in the shade, she is fully sun-screened - though I did take the radical step of rubbing it in. It's a glorious day but the day the mother gene got activated in my body I started to view the sun not simply as a glorious opportunity for outdoor fun, but also as a potentially evil source of harm to my baby.

Her skin is so pale and soft and delicate. It must be protected.

... So I suppose I have become that type of mother after all.

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I didn't think I'd be the kind of mum who insisted on very girly toys for my baby.

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Last night I also shot a shaky but cute video of Lyra giggling