Well my tests came through the letterbox this morning (3 days earlier than I thought), took a test and....... not pregnant! (Although I did spend ages staring and staring for a faint line like I got with Robert, I couldn't see one)
Still got 24 cheap ones and 2 digital ones though I might leave it a week and if I'm still getting symptoms (lol) I'll take another cheap one. But as I suspected in my heart and mind I'm not pregnant. I still don't have my period despite Robert being nightweaned for a week and a half now. I am actually thinking semi-seriously about cutting out Robert's bedtime feed and replacing it with a bottle of breast milk from my freezer stash ;) Should have enough of that to last a week or so, which should bring about my period shouldn't it? A break of breastfeeding between 3-4pm til 6am?
Ok I am beginning to sound more desperate aren't I? Talking of trying to induce my period LOL. But I'm not, really! I really don't mind when I get pregnant, but I can't help but be excited about being pregnant again! Whenever it happens I will be OVER the moon! But in the meantime I get a bit more time to lose weight :) I'm at 14 stone exactly currently, which is pretty much where I've been for the last 2 months. Shame my target isn't 14 stone huh?! Still, I'm half a BMI into overweight now and have been for a couple of weeks so I'm happy. And hopefully I will soon be down another BMI or two. (1 BMI for me is 7 lbs so 2 BMI is another stone loss) I've so nearly almost lost 2 stone this year, which isn't great for 7 months but it's certainly better than a kick in the teeth!
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Come on tests...
I have ordered some tests from Amazon, a pack of 25 cheapy ones, and a twin pack of clearblue digital to confirm a positive I get with the cheapy ones. I keep feeling little twinges, that make me think maybe I am already pregnant. But if I'm honest in my heart and mind I am pretty certain I'm not pregnant. The tests are due to arrive on Saturday so I will wait til then before I take one.
But I am weeing loads, this morning in particular I don't feel all that good. But that's probably just me knowing I could be pregnant making up the symptoms, like what happened the cycle before I got pregnant with Robert. So if, on Saturday I get a negative, I will just forget about it!
Onto the baby I know exists lol ;)
Robert is practising standing alone all the time now, and also walking with just one hand on something for balance. He makes me so proud every day :) He's been off the antibiotics since Sunday evening, and so far he has slept through the night still, although he does still get up early! I love him so fiercely, and still adore nursing him to nearly asleep, watching his peaceful face! There really is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby.
I am also so so proud of Jonathan. I knew he would be a good dad, but he's not, he is an excellent dad. I don't think I could have found a better father for my children. He is loving, patient, strong, fun, and just wonderful. He has so much love to give! I really hope he keeps his mind open to more than two children. He has always said to me only two. I don't know why he seems so unable to imagine life with three or more kids because he is such a good dad he would be great with more than two as well. I guess time will tell.
Anyway, a photo to leave you, of the two men in my life...
But I am weeing loads, this morning in particular I don't feel all that good. But that's probably just me knowing I could be pregnant making up the symptoms, like what happened the cycle before I got pregnant with Robert. So if, on Saturday I get a negative, I will just forget about it!
Onto the baby I know exists lol ;)
Robert is practising standing alone all the time now, and also walking with just one hand on something for balance. He makes me so proud every day :) He's been off the antibiotics since Sunday evening, and so far he has slept through the night still, although he does still get up early! I love him so fiercely, and still adore nursing him to nearly asleep, watching his peaceful face! There really is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby.
I am also so so proud of Jonathan. I knew he would be a good dad, but he's not, he is an excellent dad. I don't think I could have found a better father for my children. He is loving, patient, strong, fun, and just wonderful. He has so much love to give! I really hope he keeps his mind open to more than two children. He has always said to me only two. I don't know why he seems so unable to imagine life with three or more kids because he is such a good dad he would be great with more than two as well. I guess time will tell.
Anyway, a photo to leave you, of the two men in my life...
Thursday 20 August 2009
Week of antibiotics, sleeping through (!!!!!)
Well Robert's eye is getting better. On Monday morning it was so puffy and red, poor love looked like he's been in a boxing ring for a couple of rounds! Now though it's not red, but there's a scabby bit which I'm assuming is meaning it's healing!
You can see it there, but as you can tell he's still his happy smiley self, grinning away. :)
Yesterday was messy play at the surestart centre, and as Jonathan is off work, we both went along to it. So Jonathan brought his camera as we were both around it was easier to take photos. One of the ladies who works there, Julie, came up to us and said as we've been coming along since Robert was 5 weeks old, she would like to use photos of Robert at the surestart centre to show people at the open day for their 1st birthday on how surestart can help even young babies in their development, so she asked for photos of the messy play session we did yesterday that Jonathan took, and also any others we might have had lying around (I had a few on my phone I took at other sessions). We did get some lovely photos, especially since this session was outside in the adjoining nursery garden, so lots of lovely natural sunlight. As it was a hot day, there was plenty of water play, and there was a big sand pit, along with other things like paint, sawdust soil and water to mix, and a big tray filled with soil, and vegetables, plastic pots, and toy trowels, gardening gloves etc.
This was the water and balls in the paddling pool. The nursery has a HUGE shaded section which is fab, and they'd put the water there. There was also a big sandpit and some climbing frames off in the unshaded bit, and a bit of grass.
The sandpit was quite large, and Robert enjoyed his time in there although he did seem more interested in the toys they'd put in there rather than the sand!
More water play. Robert does this in the bath too, tries to grab the water as it is falling down in front of him :)
When we put him in the soil tray, he didn't really like it, he cried straight away, and only really stopped crying when we gave him a carrot to hold! Then he went crawling away at the first opportunity!
My clever little Sausage realised that it was much more comfortable to walk along on all fours rather than crawling traditionally on the hard ground. :)
Drinky time :)
It was a lovely session and we got some fab photos!
Anyway, whether it's due to the antibiotics, or simply because things have clicked, Robert is now sleeping through!!!! I cannot express how good this is and how pleased we are to have a decent night's sleep! He has been nightweaned too! Not had any milk from when he goes to bed til around 6am the next day! I am sooo hoping that Robert continues like this after we finish his antibiotic course, as I am worried it will go back to the hourly wakings!
This morning Jonathan and I got a lie in til about 8am ish - when we went into Robert's room we found out why.... he'd taken off his nappy and smeared the contents all over his cot, and all over himself... *sigh* (if you want to see the photo, click here. Jonathan thought it'd be a good idea to take it LOL and since it's there I couldn't help but share but didn't want to force you to look at it!)
Right, lastly.... I am going to try and get some cheap pregnancy tests soon. We have been doing the deed regularly since we decided to start again, and since we have now nightweaned Robert it's entirely likely my periods may return or at least that I will ovulate, so I may get pregnant soon or be pregnant already (!!!). I do keep feeling odd feelings down there, but I think most of it must be in my head, but it can't hurt to have some cheapy tests available just to check! I'm still really not bothered when it happens. I know it WILL happen sooner or later, and whenever it does I will be happy!
You can see it there, but as you can tell he's still his happy smiley self, grinning away. :)
Yesterday was messy play at the surestart centre, and as Jonathan is off work, we both went along to it. So Jonathan brought his camera as we were both around it was easier to take photos. One of the ladies who works there, Julie, came up to us and said as we've been coming along since Robert was 5 weeks old, she would like to use photos of Robert at the surestart centre to show people at the open day for their 1st birthday on how surestart can help even young babies in their development, so she asked for photos of the messy play session we did yesterday that Jonathan took, and also any others we might have had lying around (I had a few on my phone I took at other sessions). We did get some lovely photos, especially since this session was outside in the adjoining nursery garden, so lots of lovely natural sunlight. As it was a hot day, there was plenty of water play, and there was a big sand pit, along with other things like paint, sawdust soil and water to mix, and a big tray filled with soil, and vegetables, plastic pots, and toy trowels, gardening gloves etc.
This was the water and balls in the paddling pool. The nursery has a HUGE shaded section which is fab, and they'd put the water there. There was also a big sandpit and some climbing frames off in the unshaded bit, and a bit of grass.
The sandpit was quite large, and Robert enjoyed his time in there although he did seem more interested in the toys they'd put in there rather than the sand!
More water play. Robert does this in the bath too, tries to grab the water as it is falling down in front of him :)
When we put him in the soil tray, he didn't really like it, he cried straight away, and only really stopped crying when we gave him a carrot to hold! Then he went crawling away at the first opportunity!
My clever little Sausage realised that it was much more comfortable to walk along on all fours rather than crawling traditionally on the hard ground. :)
Drinky time :)
It was a lovely session and we got some fab photos!
Anyway, whether it's due to the antibiotics, or simply because things have clicked, Robert is now sleeping through!!!! I cannot express how good this is and how pleased we are to have a decent night's sleep! He has been nightweaned too! Not had any milk from when he goes to bed til around 6am the next day! I am sooo hoping that Robert continues like this after we finish his antibiotic course, as I am worried it will go back to the hourly wakings!
This morning Jonathan and I got a lie in til about 8am ish - when we went into Robert's room we found out why.... he'd taken off his nappy and smeared the contents all over his cot, and all over himself... *sigh* (if you want to see the photo, click here. Jonathan thought it'd be a good idea to take it LOL and since it's there I couldn't help but share but didn't want to force you to look at it!)
Right, lastly.... I am going to try and get some cheap pregnancy tests soon. We have been doing the deed regularly since we decided to start again, and since we have now nightweaned Robert it's entirely likely my periods may return or at least that I will ovulate, so I may get pregnant soon or be pregnant already (!!!). I do keep feeling odd feelings down there, but I think most of it must be in my head, but it can't hurt to have some cheapy tests available just to check! I'm still really not bothered when it happens. I know it WILL happen sooner or later, and whenever it does I will be happy!
Monday 17 August 2009
Poorly eye :(
Yesterday we had our first medical worry with Robert since he was born. Well apart from colds, but they're commonplace really. But pretty good considering he's nearly 9 months old.
We noticed when he woke up at 6am on Sunday morning that his left eye was quite red and a little swollen. At first we just assumed that maybe it was just from tiredness, or something like that, but kept an eye on it to make sure. By lunchtime it was still no better at all, and we discussed going to the doctor about it, since it was a Sunday. But although Robert didn't seem too bothered by it, it did look really sore so in the end I did decide to ring up NHS Direct about it, and a few hours later I got a call back from a nurse who after talking to me about it decided that it was probably a good idea to get him seen to that day, so she booked him an appointment at the local hospital out of hours clinic.
It turns out that my little baby has an infection in his lower eyelid, which the doctor said wasn't a stye. But he gave us some oral antibiotics to give him so we've gave him some when we got home and then again when he woke around 10.30pm. By morning it looked like it had got worse, and stayed very red and inflamed looking most of the day, so we called the doctors and we got him another appointment. Strangely between booking the appointment and when the appointment was for, it seemed to suddenly get a bit better. The swelling came down a bit, and the redness receded but it's still got the infection there you can tell. The doctor who saw him today said it was a stye (!) as there was a lump on the inside of the eyelid (Robert did not like this at all!!), and said that it was evident that it HAD got better (we took along a photo of how it looked yesterday) so the antibiotics were obviously doing their job. But gave us a different sort that we have to give alongside the first, which evidently makes him sick if he doesn't have an empty stomach as we found out earlier this evening... But we are hoping it will clear up soon, as it does look so sore.
Last night we had a mini-breakthrough with the sleeping issues. Although we still didn't get a huge amount of sleep, we did get slightly more than the night before, but also that I remember (!!!) Robert went the whole night from 8pm-ish til 6.30am-ish without breast feeding. I am so looking forward to properly nightweaning completely, although it was lovely snuggling down with my baby boy in the dark of night, it has got to the stage where I just need my sleep so badly I am willing to fore-go this snuggly time in order to function well the next day! I just can't wait til he sleeps from 7-7 or even better 8-8 and we can feel like we're on top of the world! So far tonight he has been sleeping since around 7.30pm. I will breastfeed him when he does wake up, since he hasn't actually had anything since 6pm due to the antibiotics.
Ok, well he woke up as soon as I typed that sentence, so I fed him and he's back to sleep. Hopefully I will be able to get away without feeding him again til morning now. I might well prepare the antibiotics in the syringes so we can give them to him when he wakes up in the morning.
Before I sign off I shall leave you with a few new photos.
Obviously before the eye infection!
Breast feeding going strong at almost 9 months old :)
We noticed when he woke up at 6am on Sunday morning that his left eye was quite red and a little swollen. At first we just assumed that maybe it was just from tiredness, or something like that, but kept an eye on it to make sure. By lunchtime it was still no better at all, and we discussed going to the doctor about it, since it was a Sunday. But although Robert didn't seem too bothered by it, it did look really sore so in the end I did decide to ring up NHS Direct about it, and a few hours later I got a call back from a nurse who after talking to me about it decided that it was probably a good idea to get him seen to that day, so she booked him an appointment at the local hospital out of hours clinic.
It turns out that my little baby has an infection in his lower eyelid, which the doctor said wasn't a stye. But he gave us some oral antibiotics to give him so we've gave him some when we got home and then again when he woke around 10.30pm. By morning it looked like it had got worse, and stayed very red and inflamed looking most of the day, so we called the doctors and we got him another appointment. Strangely between booking the appointment and when the appointment was for, it seemed to suddenly get a bit better. The swelling came down a bit, and the redness receded but it's still got the infection there you can tell. The doctor who saw him today said it was a stye (!) as there was a lump on the inside of the eyelid (Robert did not like this at all!!), and said that it was evident that it HAD got better (we took along a photo of how it looked yesterday) so the antibiotics were obviously doing their job. But gave us a different sort that we have to give alongside the first, which evidently makes him sick if he doesn't have an empty stomach as we found out earlier this evening... But we are hoping it will clear up soon, as it does look so sore.
Last night we had a mini-breakthrough with the sleeping issues. Although we still didn't get a huge amount of sleep, we did get slightly more than the night before, but also that I remember (!!!) Robert went the whole night from 8pm-ish til 6.30am-ish without breast feeding. I am so looking forward to properly nightweaning completely, although it was lovely snuggling down with my baby boy in the dark of night, it has got to the stage where I just need my sleep so badly I am willing to fore-go this snuggly time in order to function well the next day! I just can't wait til he sleeps from 7-7 or even better 8-8 and we can feel like we're on top of the world! So far tonight he has been sleeping since around 7.30pm. I will breastfeed him when he does wake up, since he hasn't actually had anything since 6pm due to the antibiotics.
Ok, well he woke up as soon as I typed that sentence, so I fed him and he's back to sleep. Hopefully I will be able to get away without feeding him again til morning now. I might well prepare the antibiotics in the syringes so we can give them to him when he wakes up in the morning.
Before I sign off I shall leave you with a few new photos.
Obviously before the eye infection!
Breast feeding going strong at almost 9 months old :)
Thursday 13 August 2009
Having read Megan's latest entry about her mother-in-law, I desperately want to regain the level of writing I used to produce. Lately my entries are matter-of-fact, sprinkled with anecdotes and "thinkings-aloud". When I first started blogging around 9 years ago, each entry was like a story in itself. I wrote not only to portray day-to-day happenings, but also to release a bit of creative spark and energy. My creativeness has taken on many forms over the years. I started out with fiction while I was at school, which then became blogging, then I started designing web page layouts for Diaryland, which I did for about three years. I did a short stint of re-colourising black and white photographs for fun. Then after making my wedding invitations myself I wanted to do more handmade cards. And my latest creative spark is of course my custom signatures for people, and other web graphics. But blogging has remained a constant, and like all parts of my life has morphed and changed as I have changed as a person. During my angsty teenage years I wrote very deeply about all aspects of my feelings. As I have become more busy I update less and what I do write is often more rushed, as I try and cram in as much of what has happened in the past however many days as possible into a short amount of writing. "We went here, we did this, it was so cute" and so on.
My life since becoming a mum is much more than "we did that, we went there". Sometimes it's sitting on the sofa with my head in my hands, tears rolling down my cheeks in frustration, or tiredness, or just plain "I can't do this anymore". Sometimes it's smiling and laughing, playing, splashing, having fun. Sometimes it's quiet reflection, feeling pride and joy for the new things my little boy has done. And sometimes... it's all three. Like today.
There is a high possibility that there are more teeth on the way, which is preventing him from sleeping very well. Napping today has been troublesome, and an early start has left me basically tired all day! And since he has gone to bed this evening, he has been waking up hourly, which means that I am knackered already and will be finishing this tomorrow!
Another bad night and early start. But luckily Robert decided his morning nap was going to be longer than yesterday's, so I am feeling a little more refreshed now! I still could have done with another 3 hours as lately I am so so sleep deprived. It does make me wonder why I want another child when the child I already have is causing me so much tiredness! And with it, the feeling like I am just not able to cope with anything. It amazes me how, when there is the possibility of pregnancy, however small, that the body seems to magically produce pregnancy symptoms that make you wonder if you are already or not. The last week or so I have been feeling a little bit sick, I keep feeling little twinges down there. And along with the phantom kicks that for a second make me wonder if I'm crazily far along in another pregnancy before I realise how stupid that is!
Since I became pregnant with Robert, my mother and I have become much closer. During my teens I clammed up, and never told her a thing during my depression. Last night I told her how Jonathan and I were trying for number 2, and that she was the first and probably only family to know about it. I was actually thinking last night, that when I do get pregnant again, and I think about labour and birth, I might actually consider having my mum there too, as she was brilliant shortly after Robert's birth. This is assuming I can have another home birth, and if not, if the swine flu crisis is over and people are allowed more than one visitor in hospital with them. I haven't told her, or even Jonathan about that yet, as there is plenty of time before it even becomes an issue!
I do think about the potential age gap of my children regularly. Part of me thinks any age gap will be fine, and part thinks I would prefer a slightly bigger age gap. I think though I am perfectly happy to just see what happens. I am not desperate to get pregnant again straight away but I do know that whenever I do, I will be so so excited! Every day that passes, Robert becomes less like a baby and more like a little boy, and that thought saddens me and excites me simultaneously! I love seeing him change, grow and develop but I am so sad that my first baby's babyhood is whizzing by so quickly. Robert it seems, is set to follow in his uncle Stephen's footsteps, literally, which makes him being named after him rather apt. Stephen was walking at 9 months old, something which until a few days ago I thought was possible for Robert, but not likely. Now it is likely, as he is now standing unaided for longer and longer periods of time, and yesterday he took his first deliberate unaided step!
Yesterday he stood unaided for long enough for me to take three photos of him before he flopped down onto his bottom! (And then crawled towards me with a cheeky grin all over his face!)
He is just so pleased with himself when he stands, which is adorable!
Robert turns 9 months old on the 23rd August. I really wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if he was to be walking by September. But I WOULD be surprised if he wasn't walking by October!
My life since becoming a mum is much more than "we did that, we went there". Sometimes it's sitting on the sofa with my head in my hands, tears rolling down my cheeks in frustration, or tiredness, or just plain "I can't do this anymore". Sometimes it's smiling and laughing, playing, splashing, having fun. Sometimes it's quiet reflection, feeling pride and joy for the new things my little boy has done. And sometimes... it's all three. Like today.
There is a high possibility that there are more teeth on the way, which is preventing him from sleeping very well. Napping today has been troublesome, and an early start has left me basically tired all day! And since he has gone to bed this evening, he has been waking up hourly, which means that I am knackered already and will be finishing this tomorrow!
Another bad night and early start. But luckily Robert decided his morning nap was going to be longer than yesterday's, so I am feeling a little more refreshed now! I still could have done with another 3 hours as lately I am so so sleep deprived. It does make me wonder why I want another child when the child I already have is causing me so much tiredness! And with it, the feeling like I am just not able to cope with anything. It amazes me how, when there is the possibility of pregnancy, however small, that the body seems to magically produce pregnancy symptoms that make you wonder if you are already or not. The last week or so I have been feeling a little bit sick, I keep feeling little twinges down there. And along with the phantom kicks that for a second make me wonder if I'm crazily far along in another pregnancy before I realise how stupid that is!
Since I became pregnant with Robert, my mother and I have become much closer. During my teens I clammed up, and never told her a thing during my depression. Last night I told her how Jonathan and I were trying for number 2, and that she was the first and probably only family to know about it. I was actually thinking last night, that when I do get pregnant again, and I think about labour and birth, I might actually consider having my mum there too, as she was brilliant shortly after Robert's birth. This is assuming I can have another home birth, and if not, if the swine flu crisis is over and people are allowed more than one visitor in hospital with them. I haven't told her, or even Jonathan about that yet, as there is plenty of time before it even becomes an issue!
I do think about the potential age gap of my children regularly. Part of me thinks any age gap will be fine, and part thinks I would prefer a slightly bigger age gap. I think though I am perfectly happy to just see what happens. I am not desperate to get pregnant again straight away but I do know that whenever I do, I will be so so excited! Every day that passes, Robert becomes less like a baby and more like a little boy, and that thought saddens me and excites me simultaneously! I love seeing him change, grow and develop but I am so sad that my first baby's babyhood is whizzing by so quickly. Robert it seems, is set to follow in his uncle Stephen's footsteps, literally, which makes him being named after him rather apt. Stephen was walking at 9 months old, something which until a few days ago I thought was possible for Robert, but not likely. Now it is likely, as he is now standing unaided for longer and longer periods of time, and yesterday he took his first deliberate unaided step!
Yesterday he stood unaided for long enough for me to take three photos of him before he flopped down onto his bottom! (And then crawled towards me with a cheeky grin all over his face!)
He is just so pleased with himself when he stands, which is adorable!
Robert turns 9 months old on the 23rd August. I really wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if he was to be walking by September. But I WOULD be surprised if he wasn't walking by October!
Monday 10 August 2009
Sleep struggles, photos
We are very badly struggling with Robert's sleep lately. We barely get 6 hours sleep a night, and those 6 hours are broken into 2 or 3 blocks where he wakes and needs resettling. I went and reread a passage in the No Cry sleep solution, on the different phases for helping a baby resettle in his cot, so we started with phase 1 last night, that is breastfeeding him until sleepy, taking him off and rocking him IN his cot until asleep. Only both Jonathan and I find it hard to get down into that position, so mostly what we do is I breastfeed him til sleepy, then put him in his cot and rock his back or pat his back until he's asleep. He now pretty much always sleeps on his front, or sometimes on his side, but never on his back anymore. Once he started rolling he settled himself on his front and although he couldn't roll back onto his back at first we left him on his front because he was more than capable of lifting his head, and his arms.
Last night went okay. He woke up a few times, but I think it was less than the night before. And after a bellyfull of milk was always drowsy enough to go to sleep quickly in his cot. At 6am I realised I must have fallen asleep with him, so I got up and put him in his cot, and ooops! Big mistake, he woke up and I should have let him sleep! Since 6am is around the time he usually won't go back to sleep! Anyhow, I got up and rocked him, for about 10 or 15 minutes, then tried him on the breast, but he started fidgetting, then got up and rocked again, he burped, rocked some more, then tried him again on the breast and he fell asleep! And didn't wake up til 8.20! Wooohooo! His head was all clammy and sweaty from laying on my arm though.
But I do feel a bit more lively today. Yesterday I was soooo sleep deprived I was crying with Robert crawling around on the floor while Jonathan was upstairs catching a few zzzs. (he'd let me have an hour or so just before) Luckily Robert got tired soon after, and we had a massive long nap together.
Anyway it's something we have to persevere at but hopefully before long we will be able to night wean him and get him resettling himself so we can have a huuuuuge long sleep each night!! We have managed to clear out the spare room enough to get his cotbed in there, although it needs more sorting out. But once his cotbed is up in there, we can move the bookcases into our bedroom, and then hopefully sort out the rest. We are aiming to get the cotbed up in his own room this Friday. THIS FRIDAY!!! I can't wait, I really hope it'll help the sleep situation! Although I will probably miss him being right there for a while, and maybe wake up in a sweat wondering where he is, etc! I used to do that when we spent best part of the night co-sleeping, if he'd been put down in his cot again in the middle of the night, I'd wake up in a panic and wonder where he was, if he'd fallen out of bed or something!
Anyway onto the TTC (for lack of a better acronym) thing... I am hoping that moving him into his own room and starting to night-wean him will bring about my period ;) We have now done the deed 3 or 4 times without protection, so it is entirely possible I may be pregnant, although very unlikely because I am still period-less. But I am really really looking forward to being pregnant again! And find myself wondering will it be a boy or a girl? Wondering when I will conceive, and what time of the year it will be born. I have a feeling it will be a summer baby, perhaps July or August next year. Which will be a conception of October/November this year. For some reason I am feeling phantom kicks a lot lately, wondering if it is my desire to be pregnant which is causing it!
Right, well it's photo time! We bought Robert a ball-pool come paddling pool a few weeks ago. It's quite a cute thing, and he LOVES it, clambers into it, tries to get the balls in his mouth, it's quite funny watching him!
It even comes with inflatable rings to go around the posts holding up a little canopy thing to act as a sunshade if you use it as a paddling pool. Which Robert loves pulling off and putting in his mouth!
We took it into the garden for him to splash about in on Friday I think it was. He loved it and spent AGES in there! We left a few of the balls in as well for him to play with, and added some bowls, jugs, yoghurt pots etc for him to play with in there too.
So so cute if I do say so myself!
On Saturday we went to Emberton Country Park, which is about half an hour's drive from us. It was lovely! We got there for around midday, and it was fairly quiet. We parked under a tree, and set up the picnic blanket (a mahooooosive one, that could probably easily fit 6-8 adults sitting and food), and we had a lovely afternoon lazing about! It got busier fairly quickly, with a huge group setting up camp not far from us with a barbecue or two going, tonnes of deckchairs, an inflatable goal post and other stuff! But it was still fairly peaceful. After our lunch was spotted by several wasps, we decided to pack up and go for a walk, and let Robert go on the swings which he really enjoyed :)
And a little go on a rocking chicken...
And the roundabout...
which made me feel a little queasy especially when I looked down at the floor! I don't think Robert enjoyed the roundabout as much as the other two.
He is doing SO well at everything really, apart from sleep I suppose ;)
He absolutely loves his food, I decided to make more of a concerted effort to give him some veg and not just fruit, bread, other easily prepared stuff that's a bit samey. So I gave him some carrot and cauliflower, and he loved it :) He particularly seemed to enjoy the cauliflower, as he went back for more and more before starting the carrot!
He is also becoming more and more daring with regards to standing, cruising, etc. He is cruising with ease now, and even enjoys walking things along the floor, for example the upturned laundry basket, and his push along trolley which we've altered to make the handle bar sit above the trolley rather than bending over the floor (and therefore tippable), and he will now scoot it along the floor with glee! He is now beginning to practise standing alone, which he has done for 8-9 seconds now before plomping down onto his bottom, or grabbing hold of whatever he let go of. We have some video footage of him standing in his ball pool, with his head against the canopy thing, and using simply his head against that he's remained balanced otherwise on his own for more than 30 seconds! It is so scary to think my almost 9 month old is so close to walking! He's growing up so quickly! It seems like absolute ages ago that my now-not-so-little boy was unable to roll or move on his own at all! And to know he's grown at least 20 centimeters since he was born seems crazy! I totally can't remember him being tiny!
Right, well to finish off, here are some photos of Robert laughing. :)
Baby laughs are the most precious thing in the whole world :)
Last night went okay. He woke up a few times, but I think it was less than the night before. And after a bellyfull of milk was always drowsy enough to go to sleep quickly in his cot. At 6am I realised I must have fallen asleep with him, so I got up and put him in his cot, and ooops! Big mistake, he woke up and I should have let him sleep! Since 6am is around the time he usually won't go back to sleep! Anyhow, I got up and rocked him, for about 10 or 15 minutes, then tried him on the breast, but he started fidgetting, then got up and rocked again, he burped, rocked some more, then tried him again on the breast and he fell asleep! And didn't wake up til 8.20! Wooohooo! His head was all clammy and sweaty from laying on my arm though.
But I do feel a bit more lively today. Yesterday I was soooo sleep deprived I was crying with Robert crawling around on the floor while Jonathan was upstairs catching a few zzzs. (he'd let me have an hour or so just before) Luckily Robert got tired soon after, and we had a massive long nap together.
Anyway it's something we have to persevere at but hopefully before long we will be able to night wean him and get him resettling himself so we can have a huuuuuge long sleep each night!! We have managed to clear out the spare room enough to get his cotbed in there, although it needs more sorting out. But once his cotbed is up in there, we can move the bookcases into our bedroom, and then hopefully sort out the rest. We are aiming to get the cotbed up in his own room this Friday. THIS FRIDAY!!! I can't wait, I really hope it'll help the sleep situation! Although I will probably miss him being right there for a while, and maybe wake up in a sweat wondering where he is, etc! I used to do that when we spent best part of the night co-sleeping, if he'd been put down in his cot again in the middle of the night, I'd wake up in a panic and wonder where he was, if he'd fallen out of bed or something!
Anyway onto the TTC (for lack of a better acronym) thing... I am hoping that moving him into his own room and starting to night-wean him will bring about my period ;) We have now done the deed 3 or 4 times without protection, so it is entirely possible I may be pregnant, although very unlikely because I am still period-less. But I am really really looking forward to being pregnant again! And find myself wondering will it be a boy or a girl? Wondering when I will conceive, and what time of the year it will be born. I have a feeling it will be a summer baby, perhaps July or August next year. Which will be a conception of October/November this year. For some reason I am feeling phantom kicks a lot lately, wondering if it is my desire to be pregnant which is causing it!
Right, well it's photo time! We bought Robert a ball-pool come paddling pool a few weeks ago. It's quite a cute thing, and he LOVES it, clambers into it, tries to get the balls in his mouth, it's quite funny watching him!
It even comes with inflatable rings to go around the posts holding up a little canopy thing to act as a sunshade if you use it as a paddling pool. Which Robert loves pulling off and putting in his mouth!
We took it into the garden for him to splash about in on Friday I think it was. He loved it and spent AGES in there! We left a few of the balls in as well for him to play with, and added some bowls, jugs, yoghurt pots etc for him to play with in there too.
So so cute if I do say so myself!
On Saturday we went to Emberton Country Park, which is about half an hour's drive from us. It was lovely! We got there for around midday, and it was fairly quiet. We parked under a tree, and set up the picnic blanket (a mahooooosive one, that could probably easily fit 6-8 adults sitting and food), and we had a lovely afternoon lazing about! It got busier fairly quickly, with a huge group setting up camp not far from us with a barbecue or two going, tonnes of deckchairs, an inflatable goal post and other stuff! But it was still fairly peaceful. After our lunch was spotted by several wasps, we decided to pack up and go for a walk, and let Robert go on the swings which he really enjoyed :)
And a little go on a rocking chicken...
And the roundabout...
which made me feel a little queasy especially when I looked down at the floor! I don't think Robert enjoyed the roundabout as much as the other two.
He is doing SO well at everything really, apart from sleep I suppose ;)
He absolutely loves his food, I decided to make more of a concerted effort to give him some veg and not just fruit, bread, other easily prepared stuff that's a bit samey. So I gave him some carrot and cauliflower, and he loved it :) He particularly seemed to enjoy the cauliflower, as he went back for more and more before starting the carrot!
He is also becoming more and more daring with regards to standing, cruising, etc. He is cruising with ease now, and even enjoys walking things along the floor, for example the upturned laundry basket, and his push along trolley which we've altered to make the handle bar sit above the trolley rather than bending over the floor (and therefore tippable), and he will now scoot it along the floor with glee! He is now beginning to practise standing alone, which he has done for 8-9 seconds now before plomping down onto his bottom, or grabbing hold of whatever he let go of. We have some video footage of him standing in his ball pool, with his head against the canopy thing, and using simply his head against that he's remained balanced otherwise on his own for more than 30 seconds! It is so scary to think my almost 9 month old is so close to walking! He's growing up so quickly! It seems like absolute ages ago that my now-not-so-little boy was unable to roll or move on his own at all! And to know he's grown at least 20 centimeters since he was born seems crazy! I totally can't remember him being tiny!
Right, well to finish off, here are some photos of Robert laughing. :)
Baby laughs are the most precious thing in the whole world :)
Friday 7 August 2009
New virtual home!
Welcome to my new virtual home! I finally got around to moving the rest of my diaryland entries over, and then decided to fiddle with the layout a bit to make the preset one more customised (which took me almost as long as copying the entries! Haha!), but it's good, I'm happy with it for now! One thing I am a little sad about is not having the comments from my haloscan associated with each entry anymore. I really like looking back and seeing what people have written about various entries, especially the ones from a couple of days before Robert was born and all the ones while I was in hospital.
Onto more relevant news... we are going to try in earnest to clear up the spare room, to get Robert in for next Friday. Jonathan has the week off starting the 17th, so we figure we'll use it to start off Robert in his own room, incase we get lots of sleepless nights in the transition and then we can both nap when he naps during the day. Also, we will be attempting to night wean him gradually, as I don't think we will fancy trapsing in and out of our room several times a night to get him for a feed. Which may well bring about my period! (Damn.... ;) Ah well!)
I really don't mind when we get pregnant again. We are both happy with now if it happens that way, but I think a 2 year age gap is even better, we shall just wait and see though when it happens! It would be nice to not have kids in the same month or within the same month if possible. I do wonder when I would like a baby in the year, obviously it'd be nicer not to be heavily pregnant during times when there's a likely heatwave... But then beggars can't be choosers ;) If I was to fall pregnant now (or already am pregnant - who knows!!! We've had the S word twice since we decided to stop using condoms!), then the baby would be a May baby probably... so possibly it taking a few months would bring us bang into summer 2010!
I told Sarah that we were "not preventing" on Wednesday, we went for a walk to a local estate's playground with baby swings etc there (the one at the top of the road has had all the swings cut off :( so we've had to find other options!), and anyway she's very broody again and has been saying to me about the fact she wants another baby, and they will be trying within a few months. So we said we'd have a competition! Hehe! Although she has an advantage in that she has her periods ;)
Right, well here's what happens if we don't guard the stairs anymore...
And with that I'll end my first blogger entry!
Onto more relevant news... we are going to try in earnest to clear up the spare room, to get Robert in for next Friday. Jonathan has the week off starting the 17th, so we figure we'll use it to start off Robert in his own room, incase we get lots of sleepless nights in the transition and then we can both nap when he naps during the day. Also, we will be attempting to night wean him gradually, as I don't think we will fancy trapsing in and out of our room several times a night to get him for a feed. Which may well bring about my period! (Damn.... ;) Ah well!)
I really don't mind when we get pregnant again. We are both happy with now if it happens that way, but I think a 2 year age gap is even better, we shall just wait and see though when it happens! It would be nice to not have kids in the same month or within the same month if possible. I do wonder when I would like a baby in the year, obviously it'd be nicer not to be heavily pregnant during times when there's a likely heatwave... But then beggars can't be choosers ;) If I was to fall pregnant now (or already am pregnant - who knows!!! We've had the S word twice since we decided to stop using condoms!), then the baby would be a May baby probably... so possibly it taking a few months would bring us bang into summer 2010!
I told Sarah that we were "not preventing" on Wednesday, we went for a walk to a local estate's playground with baby swings etc there (the one at the top of the road has had all the swings cut off :( so we've had to find other options!), and anyway she's very broody again and has been saying to me about the fact she wants another baby, and they will be trying within a few months. So we said we'd have a competition! Hehe! Although she has an advantage in that she has her periods ;)
Right, well here's what happens if we don't guard the stairs anymore...
And with that I'll end my first blogger entry!
Tuesday 4 August 2009
A little surprise
Hmm.. Well I wanted to leave this a surprise, but I'm terrible at keeping secrets!
Basically, Jonathan and I have decided to stop using condoms, and while we're not strictly TTC (I don't even have my period back yet) we're not preventing... and I'm pretty excited about it! I know I kept saying I wanted to lose the weight first, but I dunno, there may be a good few months yet before I am able to conceive, plus I might speak to people about losing weight while pregnant. I would of course do nothing that would harm the baby, which is why I would talk to my health visitor, or midwife beforehand!
IF I was to conceive straight away (which is soooo unlikely), there would be a 18/19 month age gap between Robert and his little brother/sister. But knowing it's unlikely to happen straight away, therefore likely to have a larger age gap than that is lovely too.
So yeah there you go :) I was thinking about surprising you all with a completely out of the blue pregnancy announcement, but couldn't resist saying something!
Monday 3 August 2009
8 months 2 weeks old - sleep, BLW, stairs etc!
I feel so sleep deprived lately it's unreal... We have been implementing a few ideas from the no-cry sleep solution but I need to look through properly and write out an actual sleep plan because it's just getting so exhausting. Also, we are going to be moving Robert into his own room soon. We have got rid of the two big chairs that were cluttering up part of our spare room now we just need to pull our fingers out and clear the rest, then we can dismantle Robert's cot, (it won't fit through the door) and reassemble it in his new room. It is not decorated as such right now, in fact we have not done a spot of decorating to the place since we moved in last March! But I am looking forward to a night's uninterrupted sleep which I know we will get eventually! But with that will come engorged boobs again which I am not looking forward to, although Robert is now eating 3 big meals a day, plus the occasional snack during the day of some fruit or a breadstick. So his milk intake is significantly less now, and he must take most of it during the night. So before he is night weaned we will have to try and get into the habit of making him take more milk during the day (he usually only gets some milk after a meal (and not a lot then because he is full) and then before his naps. Oh, and first thing in the morning when we're trying to coax him back to sleep until 6.30 or 7am but he's having none of it then! Sleep that is, he has plenty of milk then, as he'll spot my nipple, and lunge at it, and then come off and clamber on us some more, turn around, spot it and lunge again lol! But anyway I think it'll take a very concerted effort to get him to have more daytime milk so he doesn't want it as much in the middle of the night.
His meals and the whole baby led weaning is going great. The boy LOVES his food. When my Mum babysat him for my birthday she gave him one thin soldier of toast, and a small square of bread with some jam on. When we came back, and he ate a whole banana, she was surprised as she didn't realise he ate that much! He will manage a whole slice of toast for breakfast usually, cut into soldiers, although we now butter it as we think he was getting bored of plain toast. He loves cheese, bread, tomatoes, banana, nectarines, satsumas, and ice cream lol! Although we are of course careful to make sure he doesn't eat much food with unnatural sugar in.
He is now also climbing the stairs, from bottom to top! So yesterday we went and bought a stairgate which was small enough to fit, and we got a y shaped spindle so it could go around the banister. Unfortunately due to our stair type, we have had to put it on the second step instead of the first, as the first step does not have the banister next to it!
Anyway here is my baby boy's new haircut which he had done on Thursday morning...
My little bruiser! So grown up! He is getting bigger and bigger every day, in the sense of what he can do, his mannerisms and such.
Anyway a little video clip to round up the entry... Robert playing with a tag. He does this most time he finds a tag to play with, it's quite funny! We can always tell if he's playing with a tag in another room!
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