Saturday, April 25, 2015

The new Saturday morning normal

Recording a fairly ordinary morning because I want to remember these things. This is normal now. In a few months it'll be different. Phoebe is 37 weeks and 3 days old. She can sit up but not yet crawl, though I think that's coming. She wakes up a lot at night (though a lot for her is every 2-3 hours. I'm well aware for some babies that would be brilliant. Big hugs to anyone dealing with hourly wake-ups) and I'm very tired!

It's been one of those less good nights. I put Phoebe down to sleep at 715. She woke up at 8 and sat on the sofa watching Star Gate: Universe with us because I couldn't be bothered to fight. At 9 something we went to bed - Phoebe and I snuggled in the king size bed. Rob would be up for a few more hours playing StarCraftII and whatever else he does before sleeping on the sofa. (His preference incidentally. He prefers to sleep alone and not be woken up).

Phoebe woke at midnight (sent back to sleep by ten minutes of mummy milk), 4am (longer this time, both breasts, a nappy change and some time talking to the baby in the bathroom mirror) and at 6am when she was crying inconsolably and not even milk or the mirror could settle her enough to go back to sleep. So, I gave up the idea of sleep, opened the blackout blinds and we spent a couple of hours with me dozing, her playing on or next to me, intermittent milk and the occasional crying session (her, not me) until around 8, we were both hungry and I was in need of coffee.

Breakfast involved first emptying the kitchen of drying washing (leaving it in there overnight with the dehumidifier running is the easiest way to get it dry without filling the house with damp) and moving the highchair and a dining chair into it. Rob woke up at this point and moved himself to the bedroom. Which was probably a good thing as it means he gets more sleep and isn't grumpy about being disturbed.

Phoebe and I ate breakfast. Banana pancakes and strawberries for her, muesli with banana and yoghurt and blessed coffee for me. I spread cashew butter on some of the pancakes which tasted yummy, but of course became smeared all over Phoebe's hands, arms, face, hair etc. So, a bath became necessary. The monkey likes baths and I like giving her baths. She had a lovely time eating her ducks and I got most of the mess off (though I found cashew butter in her ear later). But she also managed to do a sneaky poo which I didn't notice until emptying the bath. I thought I'd noticed her poo face, but couldn't feel anything at the time (I put emollient in the bath water for her dry skin, which makes it cloudy). Goodness knows how long it had been there. Oh well.

I got her out, dried her off and smeared her with newly prescribed emollient cream. Then she sat in her cot for a while playing with (i.e. eating) a board book and a muslin square while I tidied the bath and the kitchen and got dressed. There were only a couple of squeals when she fell over. She's good at sitting, but can't get up if she topples over. The cot went up on Monday and I've been trying to get her to sleep in it without success, so it's great that she was happy to play in it, even without me in the room.

Eventually she got cranky and tired, about 9.30am. By then she'd been awake for 3.5 hours, so she was ready for a nap. I fed her to sleep sitting next to the cot, but she squeaked when I tried to put her down in it, so we moved to the sofa. Now I'm sitting cross legged typing as she sleeps. Except she's stirring. I think nap time is over. Oh, back to sleep. But I'll post this now.

Monday, April 06, 2015

Phoebe at 8 months


My dear chocolate smeared daughter,

Today you are 8 months old. Your daddy decided that since it's Easter, you should have some chocolate and decided to give you a flake to eat. The above is what resulted. Guess who had to clean you up?

You are generally delightful at the moment. At least during daylight hours. At night, you can be unsettled and wake up frequently. You are still sleeping in the Moses basket in our bedroom, at least in theory, although in practice you spend most of the nights and your day time naps in the big bed. When we can convince Daddy you really are too big for the basket, we'll move his computer to the living room and set up your cot. But for now, you're within arm's reach at night.

You're enjoying food. You've got much better at handling it. You can pass pieces from one hand to the other and turn them so they're easier to get into your mouth. I haven't yet found a food you don't like, though if you're tired more goes on the floor than into you. Chicken seems to be a favourite. Tomatoes and strawberries you're possibly allergic to. We'll avoid them for a bit. Of course you still like your milk.

You're fortunately not very mobile yet, although you're getting there. You've been rolling from front to back for ages, but only in the last few days have I seen you roll from back to front and connect up movements to get somewhere. A couple of times I've left you sitting and come back to find you lying on your front, intent on reach some object or other. You fall over sometimes. There was a big bump today as you fall backwards and hit the floor a little too hard. You cried and I scooped you up for a cuddle. The bumps make me sad, but you're learning about gravity and how to overcome it.

You chatter a lot, especially when happy or eating. So many noises! Lots of bah! Bah bah BAH! None is attached to any meaning yet, but you enjoy testing your sounds and babbling away to yourself. Daddy thinks you're noisy, but I like it.

You like watching people. In the sling when we're out, you become Serious Baby and stare intently at strangers on the bus or wherever we happen to be. They try to make you laugh, but you resist. Your giggles are mostly only for Mummy and Daddy.

You and Daddy are a good double act. He plays you the kazoo, then hands it over and you play it too! You try to play other objects too, so maybe you haven't quite got how it works yet, but it's very cute. You laugh when he growls at you and throws you up in the air. Sometimes you watch him as he moves around the room doing things.

Breastfeeding has been much better. It's still a bit sore if I'm not careful, but on the whole, the horrible itching is under control. You tell me when you're hungry by bobbing your head at my breast. More like headbanging than the sweet bobs of a newborn now though. Sometimes you break off in mid feed and bob some more, for the fun of it.

You are fun. We're beginning to see your personality come through. You're wary of strangers, Mummy and Daddy are best of course, but after some staring, if you're in the right mood, you warm up to people. You like looking at other babies. Sometimes you stop what you're doing and listen to the noises the birds make outside our room and on the roof. You are very interested in the world.

Keep learning, little girl! I love you very much.

Your Mummy