Isobel at two months

I just cannot believe that Isobel is two months old already! Time seems to drag when you're pregnant and you feel as though you will never get to meet that little bundle... and then they are here and you can't imagine life without them.

We started this month will a cold. Poor Isoebel didn't cope too badly, but Mummy was a little fraught, watching her sleep and constantly checking she was still  breathing. I'm not proud of my anxieties but I know I'm not the first mother to feel this way. Anyhow, we got through the cold with Olbas Oil and lots of cuddles.

If the paranoid baby watching isn't enough, I've also been panicking about vomit. My son suffered terribly from acid reflux from such a young age and all throughout this pregnancy I told myself that if Isobel presented with the same symptoms, I would not panic- instead, I would deal with the situation with a calm and clear head. Oh dear. Isobel's had a few projectile vomiting sessions and all I can say is thank goodness for health visitors! We chatted for ages about everything that happened when my son was born and his poor health in the early days. She also reassured me that Isobel was growing and developing perfectly normally... phew.

Emotionally, this month has been a lot more challenging than the last one. We're settling into a routine now and the euphoria of Isobel's birth is starting to fade a little. I've also been thinking a lot more about Luka's birth and making comparisons between the two experiences. Sleep deprivation is also making me feel a little tearful at times, but I've been here before. Isobel isn't a bad sleeper, it's just that she finds it difficult to do it without me!

We're still co-sleeping but she isn't really using the bedside cot so much anymore. I guess Mummy's bed is too warm and comfortable!

So despite the cold and the projectile vomiting incident, month two is passing  us by without any real concerns. Isobel is such a calm baby and every day with her is a privilege. This month we've seen her first smile- and that was like somebody lit a fire in my chest!- and we've watched her really start to  take in her surroundings. But more than that, the effect she has had on us as a family is amazing.

Isobel's older brother and sister seem to adore her us as much as we do. From complete indifference to total awe, my son has totally fallen in love with her. He demands cuddles and he loves to try and make her smile. I have to admit that each time he does this, my husband and I smile with relief! The toddler is still very demanding of our time and attention and perhaps Isobel is so calm and easygoing because she has to be. Either way, she has slotted into family life so well that sometimes you forget there is a new baby in the house.

This month my body seems to have fully recovered from the c-section so we've been going on more walks, enjoying the sunny weather and trying to get back into my jeans! When we're on our own, we take the Graco Symbio b but if big brother comes too, we take the iCandy Pear instead. Isobel happily sleeps in the carry cot in this pram while Luka ‘drives’ the front but it’s a lot harder for me, especially up the hills! Having said that, the double is essential for the school run because the roads are really busy around there.

Another revelation this month is how well we are coping with the cloth nappies and how soothing Isobel still finds it to be in the Moby wrap. I love seeing her in fluffy nappies and only wish I had used them with the other two. I also love having her close to me in the wrap and find myself spouting off about the benefits of babywearing to whoever will listen!

Physically, Isobel has changed so much once more. By the end of the month she's weighing in at 9lb 13oz, which is amazing considering her tiny birth weight. Her brother and sister had always struggled to gain weight well so this feels like such an achievement and if ever an incentive was needed to continue breastfeeding, here it is! She's still feeding every two hours during the night but going a little longer in the day so we were plodding along really well. 

Erin at one month

Erin was born by elective c-section on 15th March 2012 weighing in at 5lbs 13.5ozs. She was delivered three weeks early due to being my fourth c-section and additionally because the consultant felt she was going to be a big baby (the growth scan at 32 weeks estimated her to already be 2lbs in weight). We did try to push for delivery a week later but my consultant wasn't happy with this. 

The morning of my c-section came and we spent hours left waiting to be told what was happening, at one stage we were worried we wouldn't be having the surgery after all that day as the ward was extremely busy. So we just had to wait. With my previous sections I have always felt quite out of control, mainly after the surgery. So I was determined this time to make myself heard so kept asking lots of questions. I made the midwife,the surgeon and theatre staff that I did not want to be alone while my spinal anaesthetic was administered and that my husband had also fainted during the procedure with our last two children! I have to say that everyone involved in the delivery of Erin was fantastic, the atmosphere was so relaxed and because they knew about my husbands fainting history they did not talk loudly about what they were doing. I'm pretty sure that is why he finally managed to make it through a c-section without fainting and actually was able to hold Erin for the first time almost immediately after delivery. Where previously he had not been in a fit state to do so! I was overwhelmed with emotion when the surgeon confirmed we had a daughter, despite being told at 29 weeks I was having a girl I couldn't quite believe it until she arrived as we already had three sons. Due to my asthma I was given a patient controlled morphine pump for the pain following the surgery but I amazed everyone, including myself by not needing it at all, I survived on paracetamol! Right from the word go Erin has been a natural breast feeder, she latched on first attempt while I was in recovery. We had to stop her after 45 minutes so she could be weighed and to put a nappy on her. But she latched straight back on and fed well. I mobilised the following mornings about 10 hours after the surgery and I'm sure this also helped my recovery. I have a history of becoming very unwell 24 hours after having my c-sections which in turn prevents me breastfeeding. I have learnt from experience if I can return home by this time I recover well and am able to establish breastfeeding. This time I was aware that I had three other children at home to care for although I had lots of help at hand. But I knew I had to rest so I would be able to Care for them when my husband returned to work at the end of his paternity leave. However my recovery was by far the best I have had, Erin continued to feed well and on demand but she also slept really well which helped. 

Erin sleeping in her Snugglbundl blanket with her essential one blanket for extra warmth.

Erin's first month seemed to pass so quickly, the first two weeks my husband was at home but his return to work coincided with the boys Easter holidays, which at least meant two short weeks in work for him but also more helpful was that I did not need to tackle the school runs just yet! It felt like Erin was always with us, her brothers all doted in her from the first time they saw her. The older two helped lots getting me nappies and clean clothes when asked. Trystan our six year old kept telling me how much he loved his "beautiful baby sister" and that she was "so cute". Every night before going to bed I made sure I asked my husband to get anything that was kept up high that I needed the following day down and made sure I had nappies for Erin and Rowan(2.5yrs) downstairs with a supply of spare clothes. That way I wouldn't have to keep walking up and downstairs. Thankfully we have a downstairs toilet which also helped. Luckily the boys were happy to stay at home, play in the garden and we spent a bit of time watching DVDs and reading stories on the sofa together. I have to say it was actually A lovely half term break. I did find it quite annoying though when people kept asking me if I was coping okay with four children?! As a childminder I have nearly always had two or three additional children to care for during the day so I was not too worried about coping with four! 

At just under two weeks old Erin developed a touch of Jaundice.  This isn't unusual in newborns and my community midwife referred to it as breastfeeding jaundice.  I was advised to feed Erin frequently and to keep an eye on her.  I was told if she slept for long periods of time without waking for feeds and did not have several wet nappies a day I should let her know and she may have to be seen at the hospital.  Thankfully after about a week the jaundice disappeared.  Erin very unusally did not lose any weight following her birth (it isn't unuaual for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birthweight in the five days following birth) when weighed at day 5 she had maintained her birth weight, a week later she had gained 13ozs! 

One product though that was a godsend during Erin's first month was the Snugglebundl. I was very kindly sent a baby pink Snugglebundl to review and I used it as soon as I got home from hospital. The Snugglebundl is a blanket with handles and a ergonomically placed support for baby's head and neck. I used it in Erin's Moses basket so that I would be able to lift her in and out without having to stoop which is very uncomfortable following a c-section. I was able to sit in bed and comfortable be able to get Erin out and back in to her Moses basket whenever I needed without hurting myself.  Another product we used a lot was the gorgeous blanket I was sent by The Essential One along with some other items, you can read my review here I was asked alot where I had got the blanket from. I also found my Theraline maternity and nursing pillow a godsend for helping to get comfortable while breastfeeding. 

At the end of four weeks I was really sad to say goodbye to my community midwifes, after having two children with them I felt I had got to know them really well.  One in particular had provided me with invaluable support during my pregnancy with Rowan and I had been really pleased when I discovered she was to be my midwife with Erin. 

Matilda Mae at One Month

Matilda Mae’s one month celebration falls on the weekend of the Diamond Jubilee.  Which was lovely as it meant that all the family were together for a special tea.  As I looked around at all of Matilda’s Henley cousins, and her own siblings, I realised how quickly they have all grown and changed. It made me quite teary and more determined than ever to record every milestone that Matilda Mae achieves.

When Esther and William were tiny everything was so busy that I did not have time to record all the little things in diary form. Thank goodness for Facebook where all their milestones were recorded and shared.

For Matilda I am writing as much as I can at Edspire but I also want to join this special group of mummies and babies to share tears and triumphs along our way.

In her first month Matilda has already grown and changed so much. Just over 7lbs at birth she is now well on her way to 10lbs and growing out of her newborn clothes.  She has been spending much of her time in super soft sleepsuits from The Essential One.

Matilda Mae has a thick mop of dark hair and deep chocolate eyes.  She has rich creamy skin that is a lovely shade of pink now that she has shifted her jaundice.

Matilda is a good feeder after having initial troubles with her latch.  She feeds a lot during the day but at night only seems to wake for one feed usually accompanied by at least one (sometimes three!) nappy changes. For a dainty little lady she sure can poo!

The month has flown by and yet it feels as though Matilda has been with us forever. May has been mostly much colder than usual and we were very grateful for our Ruby and Ginger car seat cover which helped to keep Matilda warm and protected from the elements.  In the brief heatwave of last week we swapped this cover for a Snoozeshade to protect her newborn skin and encourage her to sleep on the go.

 

We all love her so very much but are struggling with the changes that she has brought to our lives.  Esther and William seem to have accelerated into their terrible twos, David is finding it hard to find time to work and I am tearing myself in three wanting to be the best mummy I can be to each one of my children.

Matilda is a strong baby.  She already has good head control and is beginning to smile.  This mostly happens in the early hours of the morning as the light streaks through the curtains and the birds begin to sing.  It is our most magical time of day. Before the full on madness and mayhem our family of five can bring.

I love the way Matilda gurgles and coos. She makes the loveliest baby sounds.  

I love watching Esther and William smother her in kisses, often laced with slobber and snot! They love their little sister and hate for her to miss out so have already tried to feed her crisps and grapes!  Never before have I so desperately needed eyes in the back of my head.

One month on and Matilda Mae is a delight. Every day is a glorious challenge as we grow together as a brand new family of five.

Elsie at Seven Months

This month we learned to get mobile, not necessarily in the traditional method of crawling but it gets Elsie from bear to stacking cups never the less.

This month I have seen the biggest change in Elsie developmentally. She is no longer content to sit in my arms or the sling for hours on end she wants to be down on the floor and she wants to be crawling.  


The sling has become redundant and will shortly be appearing on a sale board soon.


Elsie is also showing signs of missing me when I leave the room or a stranger asks to hold her. One day a week we go to a great Baby and Toddler group at a church in town and afterwards they run a creche for an hour. I am hoping this one hour a week will help Elsie get used to be left on the odd occasion I am not around. At the moment I have only really been away from her to have my hair done and although I dont plan or want to leave her just yet I am hoping I am giving her the opportunity to develop her confidence for the future.


I don't really have a must have purchase for this month, I do have a wish I hadn't bothered with one though. I bought a baby walker for Elsie that you sit in. I thought it would be something she would find useful and allow her a little bit of independence to move about. She is getting quite frustrated with her version of crawling. However because she is used to the Jumperoo she tries to bounce in the walker - which has no suspension for this movement and is clearly uncomfortable and uninteresting for her. Maybe in time it will improve?

Isobel at one month

 Isobel was born by planned c-section on the 15th February 2012. I walked into the operating theatre. I read my name on the board; someone had drawn a loveheart next to it. I felt them tug and I heard her precious cry. We hadn't known we were having another girl, but I'd felt her all along. We named her Isobel Marcia.

The first few days with Isobel reminded me so much of the early days with my eldest. The house was calm, quiet and filled with a sense of wonder, almost. At the risk of sounding really cheesy, we all totally fell in love with her. Well, almost all- Luka took a little longer to get used to her, but I suppose at two years old that’s to be expected. It was hard for him to see his daddy holding her or changing her nappy, but we made sure we reassured him as much as we could. It’s amazing how much one tiny person can completely change the lives of so many!

During her first night in the hospital, Isobel slept and slept and slept- in contrast to her brother’s first night which was a fraught affair filled with screaming and plenty of motherly tears. I honestly felt blessed and could barely sleep for watching her little chest rise and fall, rise and fall. The next morning, I tried to wake her for a feed but she was still so dozy. With the promise of being able to take her home that afternoon, I agreed to a syringe feed and let her drift back to sleep again. So you can see why I was practically skipping (metaphorically of course, having had a c-section) up to bed the next night, ready for another blissful night’s sleep. I guess that was my first lesson learned- never assume you know a baby, especially one who is just a day old.

Isobel did not sleep well that first night. She exposed me as a rooky parent at a time when I honestly believed I knew it all. She soon brought me back to earth and I prepared her bedside a lot better after that. We have a co-sleeper cot and it needed adjusting so that everything I needed was right next to me, including pain killers and pillows to prop her on during the feeds.

We settled into a night time routine which became easier and easier. Isobel proved herself to be a fairly relaxed baby, mostly only waking for a brief period to feed and then settle back in her bed. She hardly suffered with wind, fed every two hours and needed a few nappy changes at night. We were getting on well!

By the end of the first month, Isobel and I had started to get to know each other better and the old tried and tested baby strategies began to come back to me. She liked to be swaddled for her sleeps and occasionally needed a dummy to help her settle back again. There were no real surprises. The Babybay bedside cot worked so well that nobody else woke up when she did, which was a major concern given how terribly Luka sleeps. All in all, our first month passed us by so quickly and with no major issues at all!

Of course, it wasn’t all complete plain sailing. I know by now that babies are demanding creatures and there were a few days which felt a little harder than others. One day trip to the Imperial War Museum ended in tension because Isobel wanted to feed pretty much the whole time we were there, but luckily there are plenty of discreet corners for that. I found that wearing her in the Moby wrap was one of the best ways to settle her quickly and it really helped with the bonding too. Another such occasion came when we were trying to entertain all the children in the house on a rainy day and it became a bit of a battle ground with the toddler. I have to admit that this was the first time I allowed myself to go back to my son’s birth and relive a little of the terrific stress that followed. I ended up putting the rain cover on the pram and taking the older ones out to splash in puddles for a while. It worked a treat.

Isobel’s frst month saw a lot of changes for us. Luka’s behaviour became a bit of an issue and sleep deprivation did start to take its toll on me. Physically, Isobel made huge leaps. She was born at 5lb 15oz and dropped to 5lb 13oz after birth. Despite her tiny stature, her next weigh in at ten days old was 6lb 8oz! She has continued to gain weight really well, ending the month at a whopping 8lb! I think that Isobel’s easy birth and calm nature did so much for my own emotional strength during this month. I was able to really think about my issues surrounding my son’s birth and truly felt so lucky for a second chance to get it right. But with that came my own guilt at the ways in which I struggled two years ago with a tiny baby. Left over pregnancy hormones appear to still be raging through my body even one month after the birth!

Zack at Two Months

Time is going too quickly and Zack is already 2 months old. I want to cherish every moment as hubby says that he is our last :-(

You will be pleased to know that Zack's scan results were fine and he has now been discharged. He has had his first lot of injections on May 29th and weighed 9lbs. The doctor says he has big feet, so I imagine he is going to be another tall boy, like his dad.  His next lot are due on June 26th, and I'm not looking forward to them.



This month he has become very smiley. I love his little smile, it's really contagious. He also has a fixation with his older brother. When Jake is around, you can see Zack's eyes following him around the room. It's very sweet.



There are a few items this month that have made life easier. First and foremost, the Close Baby Carrier. Zack really doesn't like being put down and always wants to be held, so having this carrier has been really helpful. It means that I have still been able to do things around the house whilst he still feels like he's being cuddled. Seeing as we are trying to sell our house, it needs to be kept tidy!




The other item I have found to be wonderful is our new changing bag. Up until now, we have used the free Boots changing bag, and have got through two of them, so we thought we would treat ourselves to a new one. In an ideal world, I would have got a Pink Lining bag, but hubby didn't want to carry that one around. So we found a bag we were both happy with. The bababing DayTripper Paternity Satchel.



He is only waking once through the night, which I'm pleased with. Hopefully it won't be too long before he is sleeping through completely.

His strawberry birthmark doesn't seem to have grown any more, or at least if it has, I haven't noticed. The only think I have noticed is that it isn't flat any more and that it is slightly raised. The GP wasn't at all concerned and said what I already knew, that it would get bigger before it got smaller and should be gone by the time he is two.

Other than that, all is well :-)