Tag Archive | Raising Baby

What Happened Last Night

Last night was a bad night for baby. He had spent the evening throwing up owing to a nice little bug that’s going around. It then took till 9pm to settle him down completely. I dropped into bed by 11pm, tired, hoping we would both have a good night.

What happened next was a bit of a blur, but it goes something like this…

Baby was completely unsettled most of the night and crying on and off. I decided to cradle him in my arms and sleep sitting up. I’d just about dropped off when the OH started sleep talking.

“Let go of my arm.” I ignored it. He sleep talks quite a lot and I’ve learned to filter it out, whilst keeping an ear open for any funny bits. Tonight wasn’t funny and so I ignored it and tried to settle to back to sleep again.

He repeated it, this time tugging at me. He’s also done this before too. Ignoring him again I carried on trying to sleep.

“Let go. Wake up!” Tugging harder now he suddenly shook me out of sleep. I sat up in bed puzzled. I looked over to the basket where baby had been sound asleep all this time. It dawned on me I’d been dreaming but hugging the OHs arm tighter and tighter thinking it was the baby.

I think I need some proper sleep.

Blimmin ‘Eck – 6 months!!

Jun17

So yesterday I came home with you in my arms, a teeny tiny bundle all lost in the baby grow that was too big for you, and big wide eyes silently soaking up the brand new world. And in what feels like a few weeks, you’re a 6 month old!! A cheeky little 6 month old at that!!

This month….

1. You now know your name. You whip your head around, all ears, as soon as someone calls you. And we call you a lot! Just to watch you all alert. I know it’s a bit mean. Hehe, sorry!

2. You have learned to jump like a little jack in the box in the jumperoo. But you will occasionally stand so poised you remind me of a little ballet dancer. Other times you look like you’re doing a little jig.

3. You can now scream from about 7am till 8pm in the evening. Blimey, it isn’t half deafening. You don’t seem to tire of it at all! Whilst it’s cute (well, ok not so much anymore), I won’t miss this phase when it’s over!

4. You can give hugs!! (hurrah hurrah!!). It’s not really a full blown proper hug. More, you grab my face and either burrow your own into it, or you try to bite my cheek, complete with a generous layer of drool. I class it as a hug. Muslins are good!

5. You’ve started enjoying fruit, phew. I did worry a bit at first and had visions of you living off veg (mainly the smelly stuff!) and porridge but I think we’re both getting there! Let’s try a bit of baby led weaning next month.

6. You love the theme tune of This Morning. It has a similar effect as saying your name. You whip your head around and will stare happily at the TV and then go about your way when it’s finished. I haven’t noticed you do it to anything else yet but I’m sure it’ll happen.

7. You love being picked up. By anyone! A smile flashed in your direction and you’re anyones.

8. Having said that though you constantly turn around to check your Daddy or I are in the same room. Else a little nervous laughter comes out. Shortly followed by “get me out of here” whinging.

9. My manager came to visit you this month and you spent the whole time pulling his hair, smacking his face and tugging at his shirt. Thank god he has 3 boys of his own. He loved playing with you. I think!

10. You can now put your dummy in your mouth perfectly. The HV said once you could do that you’d be ready for BLW. Hmmm, so next month is going to be interesting!

Wee-less Massaging

Jun15

I think we’ve turned a massive corner with baby massage classes. The sessions are really enjoyable, relaxed and I actually have a good time too. It wasn’t always like that though.

In the beginning there was baby massage. Baby was 14 weeks old and I was still looking a bit frazzled. At the time Baby Boy was still feeding every two hours and just getting out of the house would take what seemed like eternity. That morning I rushed around trying to pack all his belongings into his changing bag, partly because I still didn’t know how to pack a changing bag and partly because I wanted to be prepared for every baby emergency that came my way. This meant packing 5 feeds (for one massage class), a few pairs of clothes, countless nappies, towel etc. I could have stayed away at the class for about a week and still had enough to keep baby going.

With baby all wrapped up for an outing in the big cold wide world (its was still a very cold February) and my changing bag enough to cater for 4 babies I bundled the baby, the baby bag and myself into the car. Packing everything had made me really late and I’d foregone putting any make up on and had scraped my hair into a ponytail. With very little sleep from the previous night I think its fair to say I didn’t look my best. Ahh stuff it I thought, the other mummies will be just as tired looking. We hurriedly trundled into the clinic about 15 minutes late and burst through the door into the class.

I was suddenly in a room with about 20 babies, their mums and the instructor. All relaxed with calming music playing in the background. All now looking at the intruder that has suddenly disturbed the ambience. I tried to settle myself and baby on the spare spot int he circle and tried to strip baby off at lightning speed, whilst at the same time hoping he would relax at an equally quick pace. Glancing around the room I realised I was the only mummy that looked like I’d arrived backwards through a hedge. Damn the perfectly groomed mummies. Why didn’t I put some make up on? Baby was also too busy wriggling around and had taken an interest in the neighbouring baby. He was now content gurgling and trying to hold her toy as well whilst she wildly waved it around whacking the floor and herself.

As I tried to eventually join in with the massage Baby Boy had now spotted the doll that the instructor was using and had proceeded to crane his head back as far as it’d go to try to engage in a baby conversation. Distracted, I completely failed to notice Baby Boy had made himself and home and had decided to wee, all over me. Oh lovely. I now had a massive wet patch on my red dress and rubbing it with baby wipes didn’t really help. Now I know baby massaging is meant to be about complete relaxation but knowing what I know about my little one’s tendency to wee all over me the minute his nappy is off, a nappy on can’t be that bad can it?

Anyway, back to trying to get to a relaxed state, I was now cleaning up the wee from myself, baby and the baby mat and then trying to rejoin the intended relaxed state. We managed quite well for about 5 minutes before another baby decided she’d had quite enough for one day and started screaming blue murder and wanted picking up. Cue, a domino baby crying effect. Baby Boy was utterly silent for about 5 seconds before letting out an upset cry, firmly declaring he had quite enough too. I scooped him up and attempted to soothe, and hold onto, a now well oiled baby.

Eventually he calmed down, but not before he decided to relieve himself on me again. Just as the instructor concluded the massage was over. “Good job babies! Well done babies!” What? Over already? I needed to have a lie down! I have to say I was reluctant to go after that and it took me a good few weeks before going again.

This time though it was different. I was no longer packing the entirety of baby’s bedroom for every trip out and I was much more used to functioning after a bad nights sleep. I now get there early or on time and I no longer stress about the fact that baby (and I) need to relax. To Relax!! The class is much smaller now as lots of babies have now moved on, which does help in a way. And Baby Boy is much less prone to having an impromptu cry. He will still wee on me given the chance but I now just put his nappy on very loosely. So no more target practice for him. and drier clothes for me. Oh, and I still forget to put make up on some days, But I carry less of a backward hedge look.

Dearest Baby (5 1/2 months)

Jun3

Hello Baby,

Well better late than never I suppose. I actually meant to do one of these every month. A monthly record of stuff you now do and little (and big) milestones achieved. I kind of got busy with looking after you and trying to catch up on sleep in the day. As well as going out, watching too much trash telly and generally being a bit lazy from time to time.

So whilst you’re asleep in my lap, here is what you’ve been doing (or not!), this month:

1. You can now roll over without trapping your arm under yourself. You still screech though. I used to think it was because of afore mentioned trapped arm. Turns out you just like screeching.

2. Now that you can turn over you try desperately to move forward but don’t really get anywhere. Many a time you lie grappling with the changing mat looking like a baby body surfer.

3. You cried the first time someone tried “Round and round the garden” on your hand. Hehe, I’m not sure why. I’ve tried after that and you chuckled so I’m
hoping it’s just that you didn’t like the person very much.

4. I’m convinced I caught you scowling at the cousin that never picks you up (and who generally doesn’t like babies!). You sat in your jumperoo, toy bee in mouth being drowned with your saliva, attempting a stare off. She glanced over at you nervously once or twice to be met by your steely stare. She’s lovely, she just doesn’t like sick or drool. I’m sure she’ll pick you up when you’re around 1ish. If you stop sicking up by then.

5. You love weaning / eating (whatever the correct term is). You seem to like stuff that stinks e.g mushed broccoli and spinach. Generally these result in equally stinky poos. You’re not too keen on some fruit at the moment. I always thought you’d jump at the sweet stuff! Especially considering both mummy and daddy have very sweet tooths! Regardless of what you’re eating though, I need to remember your hands are as quick as lightning, many a time finding their way gripped around the spoon in a flash. You also know how to clamp your mouth shut, tight, when you don’t like it or don’t want anymore.

6. According to one of those baby progression emails you might start giving hugs soon. Where’s my hug? I’m waiting! I thought you were going to give me one the other day. Turns out you just wanted to chew on my cardigan.

7. You still wake for night feeds. Personally I think some babies just don’t sleep through for a long. Long. Long time. As in more than 12 months; a year. *sob* I’m just kidding. It’s more like *weep*

8. I saw a 5 month old baby have a taste of coke (yes, COKE!) the other day. I was utterly stunned. You haven’t even had juice yet. Obviously this isn’t one of your milestones, just…I was so stunned! I’ll point him out when you’re older.

9. You look around in wonderment when I take you into another room in our house. You’ll turn around constantly examining everything, occasionally laughing at something (hopefully “approval” laughter rather than a mocking one). I find it really cute as you’ve seen our home a million times over. Umm I hope you’re not going to inherit obsessive cleanliness traits from your father or anything. Then again…

10. You love going outside. You will look out the window from your car seat and sometimes I hear you babble until you fall asleep. Sometimes it even sounds like you’re turning the pages of your crinkly fabric book thing

Next month…

Well hopefully we have some proper sun and we can go to the park properly and even sit for a bit and feed the ducks!

Finally, a blog!

May4

Hello all!

Finally, I got off my bum and decided to create a blog. I’ve actually wanted to blog for quite a while but then things like a new born baby, sleepless nights, and general exhaustion got in the way. I am now a complete yummy mummy who lunches regularly and decided to blog about balancing a baby as well as a social life.

Well, ok, not really. I still class myself very much a “new mum” and am still learning how to do even the basics for a new baby. If I manage to get out and about during the week, as well as cook, clean and look after myself then that is a major achievement. So far, after 4.5 months, I still haven’t managed it. I give myself another 6. I think that’s fair isn’t it?

So why the blog? Besides the fact it’s quite cool to have a blog, I’d very much like to keep some kind of record of my baby adventures and share this with my friends, family and anyone else who likes to read my ramblings. My memory, it seems, disappeared with the end of my pregnancy and, coupled with still doing night feeds. Every. Single. Night, I need some way to look back and smile at the day-to-day antics of Baby Boy (who is now 4.5 months, flipping heck where has the time gone!) and not simply remember things like the night feeds. Dont get me wrong, they are lots of fun too. Hmmm.

Its also the first time in my life I am not either studying or working. When I was pregnant I stupidly had the idea that maternity leave would be a “year off work”. I would repeat this gleefully to anyone within ear shot and somehow managed not to see the knowing smirks from the folk that had already crossed over into parenthood. I think I realised after about the 2nd hour of having a baby that this was definitely Not My Year Off. Hence; the title. Genius. I know.

Oh…and finally, a bit about me. I am a very young 30 something living in the North West of England. I had my first baby in December 2010 and am still getting to grips with motherhood and the lack of memory. Its . This week I actually don’t want to go back to work. I never thought I’d feel like that after having worked my butt off very hard over the last 10 years to get where I am. I’m enjoying the time with baby and watching him turn into a cheeky smiler. Mind you, Upsy Daisy is starting to wind me up. I don’t get how her skirt flaps up and down. And Iggle Piggle running around trying not to go to bed? Actually, I might be running back to work come next year.

Go easy on me! I dont know much about blogging ettiquette yet!

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