Sorry I've not blogged for a couple of weeks. The little one and I got that horrible cold that was going around so weren't doing much worth blogging about, and then K's dad passed away.
I've started doing crochet (again) though, so should have something else to blog about soon too!
Thanks for still following! x
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Tuesday 11 October 2011
2 months old - A letter
Dear WJ,
You're 2 months and 1 day old now. I feel like I've known you forever. Everything with you feels so natural.
Until I met you I didn't realise babies had such strong personalities. Your such a mix of Daddy and I, and you're very much a Leo!
You're so chilled out. I take you everywhere in my sling. The warmth and closeness of me makes you feel so safe and secure. The motion of me walking puts you to sleep. When I take you out everyone comments on how "content" you are.
But when you want something you won't wait. I think you got the impatience off me! If you want Boobie, sometimes I'd rather go to the toilet or make a cuppa first. You cry like I've not fed you all day, even though you probably only fed one or two hours earlier! Luckily I'm still breastfeeding you as I couldn't bear to make you wait while I prepared a bottle.
Sometimes you go four hours without feeding, other times you don't even manage an hour. Someday soon Daddy will probably feed you from a bottle so I can go to the gym or go out. Don't worry, I'll express some breastmilk for you, I wouldn't want you drinking formula milk. I only want the best for you! I can't imagine you drinking from a bottle though. When you have Boobie you're in charge. If you're not comfortable you wriggle and kick. If you want to switch sides when the milk flows too slowly you push me away and root for more. If I put you back on the same breast you protest, hitting me until I switch sides.
When you've finished feeding you go to sleep across me on your front. If there's enough pressure on your belly you usually do a loud burp. It's amazing how manly it sounds coming from such a little girl! You don't sleep as easily on your back. You seem to be troubled by wind quite often though. I often have to lift your legs and push them to your chest to help you get it out. At night you sleep next to me. I bought a little cot that only has 3 sides so I could have you next to me but not in my bed. Before that the only place you would sleep was my bed. You put your arms out to demand your own space; you're just like Daddy!
You had you're first injections last week, as well as your 6-8 week check. You weighed 9lb 11oz and measured 55cm long. I was worried about your belly button because it still has a lump on it. The doctor said it would go down on its own and it is doing. I pretended to be excited about your injections so you wouldn't sense and fear, but they still hurt you. You cried with the first one. I just wanted to cuddle you until you calmed down, but you needed another in your other thigh. You cried so much you could hardly breathe!
You look really long and thin. You're so pretty. You have long, black eyelashes and pink lips. You have blond eyelashes like me. The skin that was holding your eyelids together snapped and you can only tell it was there if you look carefully. I try not to dress you the same as every other baby. I sometimes buy boys clothes, like jeans and blue tops, which really are unisex, or I put you in bright colours. You were born with lots of hair, dark and messy like Daddy's. But you're losing that and have a bald patch at the back and your hair's really fine on top.
You like it when we talk to you. You seem to really listen, although I doubt you understand us. Daddy always gives you guided tours of places. You like having baths. You get really worried when I undress you in the bathroom, but then you smile when you're in the warm water. You love playing in your little activity gym. You lay down and hit the dangling things and shout "Khwai!! Khwee!!" You've also got a motorised swing that Grandma Kim got you. I'd much rather hold you or wear you in a sling all day but sometimes I need to do things and my shoulders hurt if I have you in the sling too much.
Yesterday we went to Manchester to start Christmas shopping. I usually leave it until last minute but I can't this year because it would be uncomfortable taking you on a crowded train, it would be scary for you shopping in busy crowds, and you don't like queuing. You slept for most of the day out, until we got to Primark and you wanted Boobie. I fed you in the sling. Then you were wide awake on the way home. You loved looking out of the window, watching everything go from one side of the window to the other. You kept talking to yourself.
I can't wait to take you swimming this week. I hope you don't get too cold.
Love
Mummy x
You're 2 months and 1 day old now. I feel like I've known you forever. Everything with you feels so natural.
Until I met you I didn't realise babies had such strong personalities. Your such a mix of Daddy and I, and you're very much a Leo!
You're so chilled out. I take you everywhere in my sling. The warmth and closeness of me makes you feel so safe and secure. The motion of me walking puts you to sleep. When I take you out everyone comments on how "content" you are.
But when you want something you won't wait. I think you got the impatience off me! If you want Boobie, sometimes I'd rather go to the toilet or make a cuppa first. You cry like I've not fed you all day, even though you probably only fed one or two hours earlier! Luckily I'm still breastfeeding you as I couldn't bear to make you wait while I prepared a bottle.
Sometimes you go four hours without feeding, other times you don't even manage an hour. Someday soon Daddy will probably feed you from a bottle so I can go to the gym or go out. Don't worry, I'll express some breastmilk for you, I wouldn't want you drinking formula milk. I only want the best for you! I can't imagine you drinking from a bottle though. When you have Boobie you're in charge. If you're not comfortable you wriggle and kick. If you want to switch sides when the milk flows too slowly you push me away and root for more. If I put you back on the same breast you protest, hitting me until I switch sides.
When you've finished feeding you go to sleep across me on your front. If there's enough pressure on your belly you usually do a loud burp. It's amazing how manly it sounds coming from such a little girl! You don't sleep as easily on your back. You seem to be troubled by wind quite often though. I often have to lift your legs and push them to your chest to help you get it out. At night you sleep next to me. I bought a little cot that only has 3 sides so I could have you next to me but not in my bed. Before that the only place you would sleep was my bed. You put your arms out to demand your own space; you're just like Daddy!
You had you're first injections last week, as well as your 6-8 week check. You weighed 9lb 11oz and measured 55cm long. I was worried about your belly button because it still has a lump on it. The doctor said it would go down on its own and it is doing. I pretended to be excited about your injections so you wouldn't sense and fear, but they still hurt you. You cried with the first one. I just wanted to cuddle you until you calmed down, but you needed another in your other thigh. You cried so much you could hardly breathe!
You look really long and thin. You're so pretty. You have long, black eyelashes and pink lips. You have blond eyelashes like me. The skin that was holding your eyelids together snapped and you can only tell it was there if you look carefully. I try not to dress you the same as every other baby. I sometimes buy boys clothes, like jeans and blue tops, which really are unisex, or I put you in bright colours. You were born with lots of hair, dark and messy like Daddy's. But you're losing that and have a bald patch at the back and your hair's really fine on top.
You like it when we talk to you. You seem to really listen, although I doubt you understand us. Daddy always gives you guided tours of places. You like having baths. You get really worried when I undress you in the bathroom, but then you smile when you're in the warm water. You love playing in your little activity gym. You lay down and hit the dangling things and shout "Khwai!! Khwee!!" You've also got a motorised swing that Grandma Kim got you. I'd much rather hold you or wear you in a sling all day but sometimes I need to do things and my shoulders hurt if I have you in the sling too much.
Yesterday we went to Manchester to start Christmas shopping. I usually leave it until last minute but I can't this year because it would be uncomfortable taking you on a crowded train, it would be scary for you shopping in busy crowds, and you don't like queuing. You slept for most of the day out, until we got to Primark and you wanted Boobie. I fed you in the sling. Then you were wide awake on the way home. You loved looking out of the window, watching everything go from one side of the window to the other. You kept talking to yourself.
I can't wait to take you swimming this week. I hope you don't get too cold.
Love
Mummy x
Monday 10 October 2011
Last Week - Jabs, DVDs, Hot Chocolate and Boobie
I had my last session of counselling. When I started going my head was all over the place. I was pregnant to someone I hardly knew, I was struggling to find anywhere suitable to live, and I was having to totally change my life. I feel so much better about my life though now.
Getting off the train coming home I saw a girl with a baby in a Kari Me stretchy wrap so I started talking to her. Her little girl is 4 months old and she only lives around the corner from me, so we agreed to both go to the Breastfeeding group that week.
WJ had her first 2 jabs. We had debated about whether to have them done, and we'll be deciding each one separately, but decided to have these two. I'm always going to say yes to any for deseases that can lead to meningitis as I remember a girl local to me dying from it when we were children. She had her 6-8 week check at the same time and is totally fine, 9lb 11oz and 55cm long.
K stayed thursday night. We were going to get a film from the library, but didn't realise it shuts early on a thursday, so we watched one episode from my Tipping the Velvet DVD.
Friday was the Breastfeeding Group, so I had to get up early after a late night. The girl from the train was there, so then we went to a cafe and I had hot chocolate. When we got home WJ was worn out!
K stayed again on saturday night so he cooked tea, then we finished watching Tipping the Velvet. I was a bit annoyed because he comes up for WJ and all she wanted was Boobie! She started feeding while he was cooking, I had to eat while she was stuck to me, and she stayed stuck to me for two hour long episodes. She wasn't just sucking for comfort either as I could hear her swallowing, and she kept getting frustrated when nothing came out so would hit me until I switched sides. He had to leave on Sunday morning to help out a friend with a boat.
Getting off the train coming home I saw a girl with a baby in a Kari Me stretchy wrap so I started talking to her. Her little girl is 4 months old and she only lives around the corner from me, so we agreed to both go to the Breastfeeding group that week.
WJ had her first 2 jabs. We had debated about whether to have them done, and we'll be deciding each one separately, but decided to have these two. I'm always going to say yes to any for deseases that can lead to meningitis as I remember a girl local to me dying from it when we were children. She had her 6-8 week check at the same time and is totally fine, 9lb 11oz and 55cm long.
K stayed thursday night. We were going to get a film from the library, but didn't realise it shuts early on a thursday, so we watched one episode from my Tipping the Velvet DVD.
Friday was the Breastfeeding Group, so I had to get up early after a late night. The girl from the train was there, so then we went to a cafe and I had hot chocolate. When we got home WJ was worn out!
K stayed again on saturday night so he cooked tea, then we finished watching Tipping the Velvet. I was a bit annoyed because he comes up for WJ and all she wanted was Boobie! She started feeding while he was cooking, I had to eat while she was stuck to me, and she stayed stuck to me for two hour long episodes. She wasn't just sucking for comfort either as I could hear her swallowing, and she kept getting frustrated when nothing came out so would hit me until I switched sides. He had to leave on Sunday morning to help out a friend with a boat.
Sunday 9 October 2011
Weekly Procrastinations 1
Go to Manchester and start buying christmas cards and giftwrap.
Take WJ swimming.
Sort through all my clothes.
Finish my backlog of laundry.
Express some milk so K can take W for longer than an hour.
Sort out my benefits.
Bake some cookies.
Dye my hair.
Take WJ swimming.
Sort through all my clothes.
Finish my backlog of laundry.
Express some milk so K can take W for longer than an hour.
Sort out my benefits.
Bake some cookies.
Dye my hair.
Children's Books
As it's been Children's Books Week this week I thought I'd share a photo of WJ's bookshelf. The books behind them are my baby/parenting books:
Most of them are too old for her (she's 2 months), but they've either been given or found at the train stations. Both Hebden Bridge have a little library where you can take and leave books. K reads nearly every book left there!
I did buy her a few board books. They were on sale in Mothercare, and were on 3 for 2. This is our favourite:
It's the only one she really looks at. The contrasting black and white is interesting to little babies.
K was really excited to find this for her while I was still pregnant:
I love this book. This was another train station find:
The illustrations throughout it are beatiful. It's a cute story about a Princess who gets a Polar bear as a companion.
Most of them are too old for her (she's 2 months), but they've either been given or found at the train stations. Both Hebden Bridge have a little library where you can take and leave books. K reads nearly every book left there!
I did buy her a few board books. They were on sale in Mothercare, and were on 3 for 2. This is our favourite:
It's the only one she really looks at. The contrasting black and white is interesting to little babies.
K was really excited to find this for her while I was still pregnant:
I love this book. This was another train station find:
The illustrations throughout it are beatiful. It's a cute story about a Princess who gets a Polar bear as a companion.
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Monday 3 October 2011
Sunday Dinner and Bottom Burping
Well I've just spent the last few hours catching up with all the blogs I follow while WJ sleeps on my lap:
After feeding, I burp her on my knee and she often falls asleep there. It seems to be her most comfortable position. She doesn't seem too happy sleeping on her back. At night I let her fall asleep on me, and then gently place her on her own mattress. We co-sleep using a bedside cot side-car arrangement The last couple of weeks though she's been troubled with uncomfortable trapped wind. She's been kicking her legs up in the air and squeezing her abdomen, so I help it come out by doing a knee-to-chest "bottom burp"
Last week I did 3 loads of laundry and I still have a big pile that needs doing.
On Friday we rented a film from the library, The Ghost, directed by Roman Polanski. It was K's choice, but I really enjoyed it. It was about a man who was ghost writing the ex Prime Minister's memoirs and ended up investigating rumours about him being involved with torture and the CIA. It had a very unexpected ending which I will not spoil.
WJ seems a lot more alert and aware of her body and her surroundings. She's been playing in her activity gym, either hitting the dangling things, or just looking around, exclaiming "Khwai! Khwee! Khoi!"
I spent all yesterday making sunday dinner for K and I. I'm 25 but I've never made a sunday dinner before because I've never really enjoyed them. I don't dislike them, but I find them bland. I never think they're worth the effort when you can stick the same ingredients in a pan with some spices and make a curry or something with more flavour. I have a very fussy taste. So here's how it went:
-I made gluten-free bread in my bread machine in the morning. I just made plain white bread as I was trying to get the texture right before experimenting with different flours and extras. Gluten free flour doesn't hold air as easily so it's taken a few attempts to get the texture right but I finally managed it!
-For starter we had sweet potato, spinach and red lentil soup with the bread and a dollop of creme fraish in it.
-For the main course we had pork, cheesy mash, stuffing, yorkshire puddings, roast pattypan squash and red cabbage. The stuffing was made with crumbs of my bread and sage I'd picked myself. The red cabbage was cooked in my slow cooker with veg stock, apples and raisins. The Yorkshire puds were a disaster, I'd never made them before so I wasn't going to bother, but when I was in the supermarket they had some gluten free yorkshire pudding mix reduced from 99p to 75p. I don't think I read the instructions properly, and then I burnt the poor attempt anyway!
-I was going to make the flapjack cookies found here and serve one broken with creme fraish and some fruit, but we didn't eat until late and were both very tired (I'd been awake bottom burping WJ, and K had been stuck outside overnight as the boat was in the lock and someone had hidden the windlass!). K doesn't really like sweet things, so I thought he wouldn't want dessert anyway. I'd made the cookies earlier in the day though and woke up this morning to find one missing!
-We spent all morning washing up!!
I've decided I need more structure to my blog, so I'm going to start participating in the weekly photo posts such as 'Wordless Wednesday', 'Small Style' and 'This Moment'. On Mondays I hope to do a catch up of the previous week (such as in this post) and on Sundays do a list of things I plan to do. I'm still going to have other posts.
After feeding, I burp her on my knee and she often falls asleep there. It seems to be her most comfortable position. She doesn't seem too happy sleeping on her back. At night I let her fall asleep on me, and then gently place her on her own mattress. We co-sleep using a bedside cot side-car arrangement The last couple of weeks though she's been troubled with uncomfortable trapped wind. She's been kicking her legs up in the air and squeezing her abdomen, so I help it come out by doing a knee-to-chest "bottom burp"
Last week I did 3 loads of laundry and I still have a big pile that needs doing.
On Friday we rented a film from the library, The Ghost, directed by Roman Polanski. It was K's choice, but I really enjoyed it. It was about a man who was ghost writing the ex Prime Minister's memoirs and ended up investigating rumours about him being involved with torture and the CIA. It had a very unexpected ending which I will not spoil.
WJ seems a lot more alert and aware of her body and her surroundings. She's been playing in her activity gym, either hitting the dangling things, or just looking around, exclaiming "Khwai! Khwee! Khoi!"
I spent all yesterday making sunday dinner for K and I. I'm 25 but I've never made a sunday dinner before because I've never really enjoyed them. I don't dislike them, but I find them bland. I never think they're worth the effort when you can stick the same ingredients in a pan with some spices and make a curry or something with more flavour. I have a very fussy taste. So here's how it went:
-I made gluten-free bread in my bread machine in the morning. I just made plain white bread as I was trying to get the texture right before experimenting with different flours and extras. Gluten free flour doesn't hold air as easily so it's taken a few attempts to get the texture right but I finally managed it!
-For starter we had sweet potato, spinach and red lentil soup with the bread and a dollop of creme fraish in it.
-For the main course we had pork, cheesy mash, stuffing, yorkshire puddings, roast pattypan squash and red cabbage. The stuffing was made with crumbs of my bread and sage I'd picked myself. The red cabbage was cooked in my slow cooker with veg stock, apples and raisins. The Yorkshire puds were a disaster, I'd never made them before so I wasn't going to bother, but when I was in the supermarket they had some gluten free yorkshire pudding mix reduced from 99p to 75p. I don't think I read the instructions properly, and then I burnt the poor attempt anyway!
-I was going to make the flapjack cookies found here and serve one broken with creme fraish and some fruit, but we didn't eat until late and were both very tired (I'd been awake bottom burping WJ, and K had been stuck outside overnight as the boat was in the lock and someone had hidden the windlass!). K doesn't really like sweet things, so I thought he wouldn't want dessert anyway. I'd made the cookies earlier in the day though and woke up this morning to find one missing!
-We spent all morning washing up!!
I've decided I need more structure to my blog, so I'm going to start participating in the weekly photo posts such as 'Wordless Wednesday', 'Small Style' and 'This Moment'. On Mondays I hope to do a catch up of the previous week (such as in this post) and on Sundays do a list of things I plan to do. I'm still going to have other posts.
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