An Interview With Daddy

I talk a lot about my husband Luke, and I hope it is obvious from my posts here, twitter and Instagram that I think he's a brilliant Daddy to Jake. 

I thought that I would gift him a post to have his say, in a little Q & A, about life as a first-time Daddy. Here goes...

What did you enjoy most about 'us' being pregnant?

"The best part of being pregnant is the excitement about being a Dad and having our own little family. I loved feeling the baby kick and watching him move in your tummy, like the Alien! Lol. But listening to his heart beat was incredible - best.sound.ever."

What was it like for you when I was in labour?

"It was emotional. It was an emotional rollercoaster of tiredness, excitement, love, worry and also sadness" - why? - "Because you were in pain and then we had to go to emergency theatre which was so terrifying. But then he was there and healthy and when I held him for the first time it was the most amazing feeling ever."

What are the best things about being a dad?

"Watching him grow and change each day is incredible. Knowing that he will look up to me when he's older is humbling and he gives me a great sense of achievement - like it was my life's purpose to bring him into the world. I love him. It's also great when he smiles at me and cuddles into me - I love listening to him - his breathing, laughing, cooing. Everything!."

What, if any, are the downsides to being a dad?

"The only real downside is that you lose your sense of independence - you can't just do what you want to do, whenever you want to do it! Including sleep! Lol."

What has surprised you the most?

"The most surprising thing for me has been how well I have adapted to being a dad. I didn't think I'd be a good dad, and I think I actually am. I'm not a patient person but I am with him. I was also surprised at how tough it can be at times when they're ill or upset - but it's worth it, just to watch him grow every day."

What are you looking forward to in 2015?

"I'm most looking forward to seeing him roll over, crawl, walk and say his first words. That 1st birthday will be amazing! So excited! I'm also REALLY looking forward to the new Avengers and Star Wars films :) ".

What advice would you give to other first-time dads, or dads to be?

"Stay strong. It does get easier. You do get more sleep. Just look at their little face and you'll know it's all worth it. Plus, make life easier and muck in - support your partner and get involved."

Thanks to my hubby for being honest and letting me publish his answers! If you have any questions for Luke, a first-time Daddy, then drop them in the comments below and I'll get him to give us the answers! 

Yours,

Jake at 16 Weeks Old

Jake was born on a Wednesday. It was the 10th September 2014 at 2pm precisely that he was assisted out using forceps, after we were admitted to emergency surgery. He weighed 8lb 1oz.

Now, it has been 16 weeks and he is the most precious thing in my world, and followed closely by my wonderful hubby and my family. 

Over the last few weeks, Jake has had some troubles! But, he has also made some developments too. 

What are Jake's new tricks?

• Definitely much stronger, and much better at tummy time. I blogged about our troubles with tummy time here, but now he's great at it. I've realised that it's all about the right place and timing initially. Once you crack that, it becomes much easier to work it into his daily routine. He likes it now - and he loves playing with his JoJo bunny.
• Sleeping through the night from 6:30pm until 7am with a DF at 10:30pm. Apart from the tummy trouble we've had which gave us a few instances of waking up around 9:30pm and/or 6am - Jake now sleeps through with just a quick nappy change and DF at 10:30. He seems better for it too, though is still sleepy during the day, particularly in the afternoons.
• Side-rolling. Jake is able to roll much further over onto his side, stretching out further. But - still hasn't rolled over. We're waiting...and trying to coax him!
• Chatting. Jake now chats to his animal friends and his toys which 'ohh' sounds and other vowel sounds. He also likes to chat to us, the telly and anyone who will listen to him.
• Mirrors. Jake now reacts to himself in a very animated way in the mirror. He will talk to himself, smile and laugh - he finds himself very entertaining!
• Grabbing and holding. Whilst he's been able to do this quite well for a while now, Jake has started to really pull things towards him - everything goes in or close to his mouth for 'taste tests' and he has a strong, forceful grip (noticeably, when pulling mummy's hair!). He has also thrown small toys, like his OBall when frustrated...sign of a temper to come I think!
• Pulling himself up. When lay down, Jake now attempts to pull himself up by holding your fingers, or even in a mini-sit up style :-)
• Grabbing the bottle and trying to feed himself is quite a new one; he doesn't take his eyes off the bottle of milk at feed times and likes to hold it close. He will pull it back into his mouth if he can.
• Jake is more aware of his surroundings - he reacts and responds to noises and lights, such as the TV, the Christmas lights and people talking. He now seems to respond to his name as well.

What are we still waiting for?

• We're hoping that Jake will roll over completely soon - he's very close and we keep coaxing him.
• Although Jake likes to sit up, he can't do this completely unaided for long. So, we're looking forward to this happening - and seeing him play in the bath!

Jake's doing really well. Just over a week to go and he will reach 4 months! 

Yours,

Reflux

Those of you who follow Jake regularly will know that we've been battling tummy issues for the last month and a bit. Jake seems to have problems with his poop - 9 out of 10 poops are poonamis and we regularly have to strip his clothes and bed sheets on a morning.

After speaking with the doctor several times, finally they suggested we try treating it as a cow's milk allergy and they've been prescribed 'Milupa Pepti 1' milk - so far, we're seeing no changes in his poop habits.

However, this last week we've seen symptoms of what seems to be Reflux. It appears that after 2 weeks on the prescribed Milupa, Jake is not taking it well. 

Last night he was sick in his bed and on us after his bed time bottle at 6:30pm.

What symptoms does he have?

• Crying after taking his bottle
• Arching back and stiffening his legs
• Needing to be burped (and in some cases fart!)
• Bringing up milk repeatedly after a feed
• Crying when put down on his back
• Hiccups throughout the day

What are we trying to do to prevent & combat this?

• We have changed his teat flow to allow him more control (and at night we use a slow flow to avoid him gulping it down).
• We stop him during feeds to rest a little and wind him - he doesn't like this and will always cry/moan
• We sit him upright to feed, rather than inclined in our arms
• After the feed, we wind him for a while and keep him sat upright for at least 5/10 minutes after that

Lots of people have said 'just switch to the comfort milk' but whilst we're doing the 4 weeks to rule out the cow's milk allergy, on the prescribed Milupa, we can't do this. We also think it's the Milupa that has brought it on to begin with, as reflux was not an issue before.

@mummybexm - our poorly boy this evening

I have just received my monthly subscription of PrimaBaby Magazine and they have a fantastic article on reflux in there. Their ideas for prevention are things that we already do, though. So, we're still at a loss. Poor kid - teething, runny bum, wonder weeks leap 4, changes in milk, reflux - I dunno how he's still smiling!

Does anyone else have any tips or ideas re: Reflux?

Yours,

The New Year Tag

I have been tagged by the lovely Louise over on Little Hearts Big Love to do my run down on the year we've had and the year ahead. So here we go...

What was your highlight of 2014?

I think it goes without saying that the birth of my little boy, Jake David, on September 10th was the highlight of 2014. The labour was long and ended in emergency theatre, but nothing prepared me for the rush of relief and the fierce love I had for that little boy when my husband held him in his arms and showed him to me, safe and well.However, our 1st Wedding anniversary in July was also a highlight and very special. We celebrated at our favourite restaurant 'La Brasserie'. I was 8 months pregnant at the time so I didn't share in the bottle of wine, but it was lovely all the same. 

What are you most excited about for 2015?Wow - so much! I think I am just excited about seeing everything Jake will be doing in the year ahead and helping him make all those new discoveries. He'll have his first birthday and hopefully take his first crawl, steps, meal, word. There's lots to look forward to. We are also hoping to move to rent a bigger house, so that will be exciting too.

Any new year resolutions?Well, I make this one every year but I'll make it again. I want to be healthier. I was doing great until December! But having a baby, and then having a full food laden Christmas has only added to the extra weight. So, be healthier and shed some of the blubber I've been storing.
An important resolution this year is to create a work-life balance when I return (very soon). I have always totally sucked and allowed my job as a teacher to take over my life; working late nights and all day on a Sunday. Often, not doing things I want to because I have 30 essays on Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' to mark. I don't want that to happen now I have Jake. 

I also want to learn more about Blogger and blogging so I can become better at it. 

Blogging high? 
That's easy - just starting to blog!

Picture of the year?
It has to be this photo of Luke and I cuddling Jake when he was just 20 hours old. Due to emergency theatre I wasn't able to stand and hold Jake until the next day - it was an even better feeling than that first shower!!

@Mummybexm & Daddy with Jake just 20 hours after he was born.

Tagging the following bloggers to join in with the New Year tag if they would like to.
Simply copy and paste the questions with your own answers:

• Blogging Mamma
• Mummy and Monkeys
• Budding Smiles 
• Natalie Ray
• Beau is Blue
• Mamma Mum

Happy New Year to you all!

Our First Christmas

Last year was our first Christmas as a married couple. 

This year it was our first Christmas as parents - our first Christmas as a family. 

Christmas in our house is three days: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Luke and I never drag it out or start it early. There may well be festivities to enjoy on other days - but really Christmas is 3 days and not 12. Here's how we spent our Christmas days:

Christmas Eve

We were busy busy!we took Jake to meet up with my sister and her fella, Paul, and my brother and his wife, Leanne with their two little girls; Erin is 3 and Freya is 11 months. We all had lunch at The Mitre Oak and we exchanged our presents and cards. It was lovely to see them and the first time my brother, sister and I have spent Christmas Eve together as 'grown ups' - I think it become a tradition! Even though Jake woke up grumpy at the pub with his teething, it was a lovely meal and great to see everyone happy. 

After that, we had Luke's parents come and visit for a few hours. They brought our Christmas presents and cards ready to open on Christmas morning. Jake had lots of cuddles from his Nanny.

@MummyBexM - Jake excited for Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day

We spent Christmas Day at home. It was Luke's idea - we didn't want to travel around everyone, lugging bags of stuff for Jake and worrying about sorting bottles etc. we just wanted to relax this year and enjoy the day as a family. It will always be a day I remember. 

@Mumybexm - our very own Santa Baby.

Luke cooked the Christmas Dinner and we certainly didn't hold back with it just being the two of us. I made my famous sage and onion with apple stuffing and we had a fabulous dinner. Cooked to Perfection Daddy M - well done :)

Although Jake still suffered from his teething (and being smack bang in the middle of WW leap 4) it was a great day and we enjoyed sitting on the floor, opening his presents with him. 

In the evening my mum, step dad, sister nod partner came to visit. It was great to see them and Jake got even more cuddles!

@Mummybexm - Jake surrounded by presents. Such a lucky boy.

Finally, after Jake went to bed we sat and watched Christmas TV and ate plenty of cheese!

Boxing Day

The third and final day was another busy one. We set out to spend a few hours at my mum's where Jake got loads more cuddles and presents. We had a lovely lunch cooked for us and it was very relaxing for Luke and I. I helped mum set up her iPad mini and showed her how to make her first FaceTime call to my brother and his girls - she really enjoyed that.

Later on, after Jake's lunch time nap we ventured over to Luke's parents' house where Jake had a few more cuddles. We had a few nibbles in the evening and left in time to get Jake settled for bed. It was great to see his Aunty Carole whilst we were there and she held Jake for the first time - awww. 

That evening we were exhausted. Cheese and TV again!

So, that was our first family Christmas. It may sound dull to you - but for us it was what we wanted, and that was to be together. Simple. Quiet. Intimate. What's more important than that?

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you had a lovely few days.

Yours,

A New Christmas

It was December last year that Luke and I discovered we were expecting! Now - we're about to celebrate baby Jake's first Christmas. 

Having a 3 month old son for Christmas makes everything so much more magical - and yet you have to approach Christmas in a different way (well, we do anyway). 

Coming from a divorced family, I have always spent Christmas travelling around to see different family members - add in to this the addition of a new family with the in-laws and it has always been a road trip of a celebration. It also used to include copious amounts of food and drink (when safe to do so!). 

This year, the hubby and I are staying at home Christmas Day. Luke is cooking dinner (I make the stuffing and the gravy). Jake will be playing on his octopus playmat or in his bouncer chair, and we'll have opened all of the presents that are waiting for him. It's funny how Christmas becomes all about them - the baby you've brought into the world and would do anything for. 

It's also a really poignant time to reflect on how lucky we are to have such a beautiful, healthy little boy to share our Christmas with. 

We love him so much.

Merry Christmas everyone, especially our loved ones.

Yours,

Keeping Track; A Tip for First-Time Mums

One of the best things I have done, as a new mum, is track my baby. 

I have always been someone who keeps notes, lists and jots things down. As a Teacher - being organised and planned is a huge aspect of the job, so it has become second nature to do so in other areas of my life. 

One of the best things I did was start tracking baby Jake. I do it all by hand and keep it all in one little notebook that cost less than £1. If there was a half decent app for this I might consider it, but in all honesty I feel pen and paper is best for this. 

What do I track?

Every day I keep note of his sleep and awake times (naps and bed time). I also keep note of when he feeds and how much he has. On top of this, I find it useful to track when he has a poop or if he is sick, or if his poop/ behaviour changes dramatically. I then note in how many weeks old he is.

Why do I keep track?

Firstly, your midwife and health visitor always ask you how. Uh your baby is feeding and pooping when they come to visit you after the birth - so it's really good to know, so you don't feel too clueless. 

Secondly, I like to track because it helps me establish patterns and routines - you start to see trends in their sleep and behaviour. I also know when to expect a poop and this prepares you for outings etc. 

Thirdly, keeping track allows for consistency - so if JD goes to stay with Nanny for a few hours then she knows what to expect.. Or, if Daddy is looking after JD he can see what we've done and use it as a guide. 

Finally, a great reason to track is to spot any illness or changes in baby - it was through keeping track that I noticed JD showing signs of not being quite right, which has led to the Doctor prescribing him with Milupa 1 milk. We're yet to get anywhere further with this as we need to do a full 4 weeks.

What do my notes look like?

Essentially they're scribbles on a page, but they date right back to the day JD was born and his first ever feed, which was breast milk in those days. 

Does anyone else track their baby? It's a really useful habit and brilliant for first-time mums.

Yours,

Understanding Your Baby: The Wonder Weeks

As a first-time mum, I am not afraid to admit that I don't really know what I am doing. The first 6 weeks were hard; we were feeding on demand and sleeping on demand and we didn't really know what JD wanted. 

There were many times we weren't sure what we were doing, or why JD was upset - was he tired? Hadn't he fed enough? Did he have tummy ache? - we were clueless. 

I am a very 'theory-based' person. I like to know what I should be doing, when and why. That's not to say I can't be spontaneous or impulsive (I am - often!), but I like to know what I am doing. 

I happened upon a fantastic theory of baby development called The Wonder Weeks. The Wonder Weeks are the product of Dr Plooij's work on the intercultural study of infantile regression periods (ISIRP). His work has helped to establish what he calls 'Wonder Weeks' in which babies take 'leaps' in development. He theorises that these 'leaps' can be predicted and plotted out by age, based on your baby's due date. 

All babies go through theses 'leaps' and they are vital in allowing babies to develop new skills and understandings of the world around them.

I thought that this sounded fantastic and I continued to download the app from iTunes to my phone and iPad. The app allows you to add your children by due date and it then calculates when your different leaps will occur (there is a 7 day tolerance).  One it has calculated this, it plots them on a calendar for you:

You can see that JD is in the middle of his 4th leap. This leap is titled 'Events' and by the end of it, JD will begin to be able to perceive or perform a short, familiar series of smooth transitions, patterns, or sensations.

What's great about the app is that it gives you a summary page that tells you what to expect roughly. It then details the new abilities they will learn, signs that show he is mastering these abilities and ways you can help or aid them. You can see here that JD has lots to gain from this leap:

I have found the discovery of Dr Plooij's Wonder Weeks fascinating and it has helped me understand why JD might be more fussy or clingy (common traits whilst babies are in a leap). The book is also a great read.

You can find out more about the Wonder Weeks on their website, here.

Did you already know about Wonder Weeks? What are your thoughts?

Yours,

What Mummy Wants for Christmas

This year is my first Christmas as a mummy!

There are lots of things I'd like: a 30 minute nap every afternoon; an extra hour in bed every day; several HOT cups of tea in the morning, and to be able to stand in the shower for 10 minutes, without rushing, just because the hot water's relaxing. But - when I asked Santa for these things he simply laughed and asked me to be realistic!

So I wrote a new list for myself; it might give you some ideas for other mums out there...

Update: CLB Sleeping & Feeding Routine

I am always completely empathetic to those parents out there who's babies and toddlers are waking 2 or 3 times a night, keeping them awake. 

I've been there. We've all been there. We'll all be there again...and again over their pre-adolescent years. 

Getting our babies to sleep through the night is the gold dust of parenting - we're all searching for that magic ingredient. When we first had Jake the hubby and I were desperate to know the sleep secret too, as Jake was crying for food every 3 hours from when we started, in every 24 hour period. It was getting to be exhausting and I really couldn't see how we could carry on with this, knowing I didn't have more than 4 months off work on maternity. 

I discovered Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby routine and I haven't looked back. I blogged about our discovery and how we cracked it here, and also how we cracked the issue of Jake self-settling and self-soothing here.

Now that Jake has passed his 3 month mark, I wanted to give a little update on Jake's progress with the routine...

A Chocolatey Surprise!

Huge thank you to Prima Baby & Pregnancy Magazine for the gorgeous gift, after being one of their 'Mum SOS' feature questions. 

First a great stroller for star letter and now this - what a lovely surprise! 
Merry Christmas to you all 

Jake's Letter from Father Christmas!

Back in September/ October I saw a fab feature article in Prima Baby Magazine that talked about things you can do with your baby. One of them was the idea of making a memory box - which is exactly what we have done for JD!

As this is his first Christmas, I wanted to get something special, and I found this...

The amazing NSPCC charity are offering a personalised letter from Santa for a donation to the charity. The NSPCC are vital to thousands of children in the UK. The charity offers help, support and advice to children who are suffering from abuse, of all sorts. They are often the only defence these children have.

I was thrilled when Jake's letter from Father Christmas arrived - it is so pretty!

You can create the letter and get more info here. So go on - do something amazing today, because 'every child is worth fighting for'.

Yours,

MAM Teething Products Review*

Anyone who has children, or has had children, will know that when they are teething it is NOT fun.

As a first time mum, I had always heard people say 'Oh they're teething' to explain the incessant crying, moaning, whining, drooling, chewing little bundle of love that was adorably looking at you whilst they continued to sob. I didn't really know anything about what it might mean...and I certainly hadn't thought about how to help a baby who was teething.

Luckily, when Jake started teething I had my mum and sister in law to offer some advice. JD seems increasingly wanting to chew and bite everything that passes near to his mouth; toys, muslin squares, blankets, clothes, bibs, hands, baby wipes... you name it and basically he'll chew it! The drooling is pretty much constant (I'm thinking of nicknaming him Slimer!).

Plus, I was even more fortunate that the fabulous people at MAM UK offered to send me some products that might help, so I could try them out and review them.

The MAM Company Principle underpins everything that we as parents expect from our products: we want them to 'support the individual development of every child and make everyday baby life easier' - exactly what MAM claim to hold as their passion.

What was in the post?

• The 'Bite & Brush' suitable for 3+ months (has soft bristles for gentle cleaning)
• The 'Mini Cooler & Clip' suitable for 2+ months (can be put in the fridge to cool and soothe)
• The 'Pod' (handy storage pod-like pouch)

Date Night

@MummyBexm - Luke and I on our wedding day

Saturday night was the 2nd 'Date Night' hubby and I had been on in the 3 months since Jake was born.

The first Date Night we had, we left JD with my mum for the night and we went to our favourite restaurant for a gorgeous meal...and spent the entire time talking about Jake. We were exhausted and as soon as we got home, with our bellies full, we were missing little JD so much. Everywhere we looked we saw his things...his bottles, his bouncer, his toys and we missed him loads. We also slept badly, worrying about him and worrying that he might be too much for my mum.

However, this time we were so much more relaxed and we enjoyed the time so much more. Since that first 'Date Night', Jake has spent plenty of time with my mum and she has had him on her own for an hour or so here and there. Luke and I are firm believers that children should know their family - and we want Jake to know everyone we love, and for him to love them too. We don't want him to be afraid to go with others - we want him to enjoy it.

We're so happy that Jake is sociable and comfortable with other people; he's quite happy to be held by, or to play with other people - it isn't just mummy and daddy he likes. He loves his Nanny, and he really likes my brother and his wife. These things are important to us. The more he grows, the more we want him to know and love the rest of our family.

So what did we do on 'Date Night'? 

Well, Luke and I have always been huge movie fans...

What Jake's Been up to Today

@MummyBexm - Jake's floor time pose

After an awful day of teething, crying and being constantly clingy yesterday,we have had a nice day today. Jake has been up to his old tricks - rolling around on his fleece blanket, and talking to himself in the mirror of his Mamas & Papas Octopus Tummy Time playmat.

There were moments this morning, whilst I attempted to coax JD to roll over that I really thought he was going to do it! It would have been amazing if Jake had rolled over onto his tummy...I'm really looking forward to that next milestone.

Surprisingly we've had a lot of people ask about Jake's outift today! The top is from F & F at Tesco, and the joggers are from TU at Sainsbury's. Personally, I love him in green :-)

Also, you can see from the photo that Jake's teething is aggravating his facial eczema again - his one cheek seems to be flaring up more than the other, bless him. He's also got a very runny bum - which is making all of the poo-splosions just soooo much fun to clean up...NOT. We've had to change his clothes and bed sheets a few times in the last week.

Once Daddy was home, we also went for a walk along the canal and into the town centre, where we perused some shops and bought a little bit of shopping. JD fell asleep within minutes, and he missed seeing the ducks.

What did you do today?

Yours,

Silent Sunday Photo

Tummy Time

One of the first things my Midwife and then the Health Visitor spoke to me about was the importance of 'Tummy Time'.

In days gone by, babies were allowed to sleep on their sides/ fronts or backs without concern. Since further research into SIDS there has been a major move to promote babies sleeping on their backs. This huge increase in babies lying on their backs has led to an increase in the number of babies with 'Flat Head Syndrome' and a slower rate of physical development towards crawling and being able to hold their head steadily.

'Tummy Time' is important because:

• it gives them different views of the world around them and adds to the senses they experience;
• it encourages them to lift their heads;
• it encourages and helps to strengthen neck and arm muscles;
• it teaches them to hold their heads steady or turn to follow sound and movement.

From newborn, hubby and I have encouraged JD to lie on his tummy on us. Often, he would nap this way or we would lie him there and talk to him.

As new parents, we were nervous and over-careful around him, and it wasn't until 4 or 5 weeks that we attempted to actually put him on his tummy on the floor or playmat. Trying to get JD to do tummy time on the floor/ playmat without crying and screaming has been near impossible. He seems so upset and frustrated that we end up picking him up within a minute or two and soothing him.

I was beginning to fret that JD would never learn to roll over or crawl at this rate, because he wouldn't lie on his tummy and be happy about it. So, I set about reading around the subject. I found a very useful poster from ACPC.org here, which was encouraging.

I also found Boots' website and babycentre very useful. Some ideas they suggested were:

Jake's 3 Month Milestone

This week, Jake hit the 3 month milestone!

On Wednesday 10th December, he had been with us for 13 weeks (or 3 months) and I reflected on just how quickly the time had already gone.

Jake is fast becoming amazing! He is now fully following our movement with his eyes, and he looks for us or straight at us when he hears our voices.

He's grown so much too! He now weighs over 14lb and is tall; he fits snuggly in his 0-3 month clothes and will soon be moving up into some of his 3-6 month pieces - it's a good job Father Christmas is bringing him some more - including some gorgeous Fred & Noah leggings.

He is also seeking out a lot more eye contact and physical contact at the moment; we aren't sure if this is maybe the result of teething or a growth spurt. We're enjoying the extra cuddles all the same.

Awwww.

But that's not all...

Monitoring the Monitor: SIDS

We made the decision early on (at about 6 weeks) to move Jake over into his own cot bed, in his own room. We know that it is recommended to keep them in your room for 6 months, but we live in a very 'compact' apartment and our bedroom is tiny...we don't even have wardrobes in our room... Plus, I'm not breast feeding now, and we aren't co-sleeping (I'm too afraid to!). 

So, the lack of space and the fact that JD is a noisy sleeper (groaning, moaning, grunting, farting) meant that it would allow me to actually switch off enough to go to sleep if he went into his own room.

Jake's room is literally next door to ours and we have a video and audio monitor which allows us to see and hear Jake. It's good because you can also zoom in and check their mouth/ chest if you have any worries.

@mummybexm - monitoring the baby monitor

Added to this, we leave our door open just in case and I check him before I go to bed. 

But there's something about being a mum that makes you crazily worried about them. I find myself waking up every few hours to check the monitor to make sure that he is OK. 

I am constantly monitoring the monitor!

Even when he has his day time naps (I ensure all morning and lunch time naps at home are in his own bed), I am monitoring that monitor!! I can't help it! 

There's something that makes me a little anxious when he sleeps - I worry so much more than when he's awake. 

There is so much information given to you about SIDS that it's almost frightening.

Christmas Jumper Day!

Here's my little JD sporting his Christmas Jumper for Save the Children's #ChristmasJumperDay!

Rotating Baby

Does anyone else have a baby that seems to rotate whilst they sleep in their cot?

Baby Jake sleeps in his own room in a cot. For several nights now Jake has been extremely fidgety and has been moving tirelessly about the bed in his sleep.

To keep him warm we have always used a sleeping bag since he moved into his cot, and it was never a problem until recently.

We put him to bed with his feet near the foot of the cot and his head up towards his Ewan the Dream Sheep. But we've been finding him rotating as the night goes on, sometimes a full 180 - 270 degrees!!

It baffles us because during the day, when Jake is playing on his mat or on his fleece blanket on the floor, he is nowhere near as roly-poly as this, and he HATES doing tummy time. We have tried using his play mat, a pillow, across our knees and the only way he vaguely does tummy time without crying almost immediately is if we incline and he lies on our chests - it's the best we can do.

Yet, in his sleep he's doing circuits around the cot!

So tonight, I have taken the sleep bag away and I have tucked him under his cot duvet and a handmade crochet blanket we were given as a gift. I have wedged these tightly down the side of the mattress to see if that will stop his midnight wanderings!

Fingers crossed!

Have you had this experience? How did you combat it?

Yours,

Update: so, the tightly tucked blankets DID make a difference because he moved a lot less. However,at 4:30am when hubby got up for work we found he had wriggled out of the covers and was lying under Ewan the Dream Sheep - just as he is in this top picture. So, problem still not solved!

Baby Face

We all know that there is nothing cuter than a baby's face; in our culture it is synonymous with innocence and purity.

You only have to read the parenting or baby magazines and catalogues; scroll through the many parenting blogs, or simply search google images to find beautiful babies lined up neatly, without fuss, looking 'picture perfect'. 

As a parent we all want our children to be beautiful and to have that picture perfect face. We all imagine they will be the blemish-free, cheerfully chubby bundle of gorgeousness that we all just want to munch. Every parent I have spoken to has worried at some time or other that their child might grow up to get bullied or not be good at something - even though they're babies! And we were no exception...

Baby Jake was born with what the midwife called 'strawberry marks' or 'port wine stains' and they are all on his face. They have even said that it is possible they are actually birth marks. They assured us that these marks will fade over time, but that they *may* not go entirely. This means that Jake's little baby face doesn't have that blemish-free purity that so many babies appear to have. Not to mention the infantile eczema he suffered from a month ago (this seems to have cleared using his new cream).

His daddy and I have already discussed our concerns that he will grow up and be bullied for them, as they are directly over his eyes, above his nose and on his top lip. They are a burgundy colour and are more prominent when he is upset, and we have even noticed that they seem to flare up when his teething days are bad. 

To us, as his mum and dad, these marks take nothing away from how gorgeous he is. We love him. We adore him. To us he is beautiful - especially when he smiles, laughs and coos at us. HEART MELTING! But we do worry that other people think he looks ugly, or that when he's older kids will target him because of them. 

Do you think this is a silly reaction? Are we wrong to worry about these things? Does anyone else have the same kind of worries about their child and their future? 

Or perhaps, it is a symptom of the image obsessed culture we live in today, where everything and everyone is photo-shopped beyond recognition?

Yours,