Finding the magic formula

Despite Terry Wogan's best efforts and my eternal pessimism, we had a bit of a result last night - all of the Whites got a proper sleep.

I put Jamie down after his final feed at around 11.45pm, which is just about the norm.

He then tends to stir sometime around 4am when, during the week, Vanessa gets up to feed him.

However, this morning, I woke up at 6.15am and immediately asked Vanessa what time he'd been up. The reply shocked me - he hadn't been up at all.

Needless to say he yelped just a few seconds later, prompting me to get up myself to change his nappy and give him his bottle. But he was asleep again less than an hour later and stayed calm throughout.

The explanation for why he managed to sleep for a whole six and a half hours seems to centre on a hitherto unknown substance in my detached little world: strawberry fromage frais.

Following a breakfast of milk and cereal - the preference of Sir Ian Botham, amongst others - he followed this up with a lunch of more milk mixed in with pureed carrot (bleugh!) and, for the very first time, strawberry fromage frais for afters.

Now, we've had false dawns before BUT - let's be positive. For all we know, strawberry fromage frais is indeed the key to long and restful sleep.

I'm heading up to Sainsbury's shortly for six more gallons, sorry, pots.

If nothing else, at least we'll have something other than chocolate to eat during the night when we've given all hope of sleep and need something to cheer us up.