Wednesday 28 January 2009

4 months, 3 weeks, 1 day

Weight: 13lb to go

Well, after my week of hardly going out to work out Callum's daytime sleeping pattern, I ended the week completely none the wiser. If he has a long nap (1.5-2 hours) it could be at any point during the day. The other naps still vary between 30 and 45 minutes. It is rare that he will have more than one long nap in a day (it is still occasional that he has one!). 

We had one of the worst nights since Callum was born last week. I think he was under the weather. He had a bit of a temperature but it wasn't clear what was wrong. The next day, I saw a lot of wax around his ear as if he had water in his ear that had come out and when I went to wipe it he cried out so I wonder whether he had water trapped that was hurting him.

Anyway, I was out for a meal with a couple of friends and, while I was gone, he had pretty much been fine. He woke for feeding around 10pm and then Stuart tried to dreamfeed him about 11.30pm. After his dreamfeed, though, he wouldn't settle back down. He just kept crying. Sometimes he would dose off, so I would get into bed, then 5 minutes later he was crying again. We tried giving him Calpol but he threw up everywhere so I then needed to change the bed cover and all his clothes. I tried feeding him again at 1am but he hardly had 1/2 oz. This continued until about 3.30am when I was soooo tired, I had to try and get some sleep so I took Callum into the spare room to try to get him to sleep with me. I did eventually, with him asleep in my arms. He would wake up and cry if I moved my arm from underneath him so I had to leave it there, which meant I didn't get much sleep myself. Plus he continued to wake up every 30 mins or so (I don't know exact times as I didn't have a clock). I tried feeding him again around 4am but, again, he only took 1/2 oz.  He then woke about 6.40am where I tried to feed him again and he took about 2-3oz. I then managed to get him back to sleep, despite him really wanting to get up, and we both had our best sleep until 9am. 

The next day, I think we were both feeling sorry for ourselves. I don't want another night like that in a hurry. I did try Calpol again at some point during the day the next day and, again, he threw it up along with the bottle of milk he had just eaten. Lesson learned - don't give Calpol after milk!

After that night/day he started to become harder to settle to sleep again. After getting him to go in his cot awake and get himself off to sleep, it felt like a big step backwards and was worse this time because he now refuses his dummy and his muslin didn't seem to be doing anything to comfort him. After taking 30 minutes (which compared to stories I've heard from other mothers, isn't much time in the grand scheme of things and he was still asleep by 7.15pm) I was really frustrated and upset as I could see us going back to rocking him/cuddling him to sleep. Thankfully, the next day was fine, and he went down really easily. I think it was just a blip. I think I just need to make sure he is tired and I'm not putting him down too early - which could be why he took so long to get to sleep when he took 30 minutes that night.

We went swimming with Callum for the second time on Saturday. The first time we only got to stay in the water for about 10 minutes as the pool wasn't supposed to be open (it was closed for lessons). We were in the water for about 30 minutes this time. I really expected him to like the water more and I was expecting him to be like he is in the bath but he seemed really non-plussed by the whole thing! I do want to keep taking him. They do a Waterbabies class at the Leisure Centre for children to gain confidence with being in the water. I want to try to go to that next week.

Callum is still trying to roll. He did have a break from trying for about a week but he has been trying quite hard again for the last couple of days. He is also trying hard to catch his feet. It is quite sweet to watch. He has grabbed them a couple of times but can't quite reach comfortably. Hard to believe he'll be putting his feet in his mouth before long!!

Not sure if I've mentioned this but we have been thinking about when we come to wean Callum. He is showing no interest in food at the moment and none of the signs that he is ready to be weaned so we are going to wait until the recommended 6 months. Then we want to try Baby-Led Weaning. This is where, rather than giving your baby purées and weaning slowly with one spoon of one type of fruit or veg for three days, then another for another three days, you actually give your baby finger food, usually at the same time you eat. So battons of carrot, sticks of brocolli, toast soldiers. They then feed themselves and get to eating proper meals a lot quicker. I've heard reports of people taking their 7 month child to a restaurant and him feeding himself. Apparently, it is very messy, but lots of fun! We shall see! The main risk to this type of weaning is if you have food allergies in your family, which neither of us do. 

The weaning guidelines used to be to wean from 4 months (3 months not long before that). You had to start on puréed food and then by 6 months you should be on to proper solids. Now, the guidelines recommend weaning from 6 months as the child is more likely to be able to sit unaided or comfortably with their head up in a high chair and can find their mouth, but they haven't updated the guidelines for the puréed food. However, the do say to introduce lumps and solids as soon as possible after 6 months.  

Anyway, I'm going to give it a go. You don't know until you try do you? I just have this romantic notion of preparing food and giving Callum bits of what I'm cooking and letting him munch away on them and munching on soldiers of toast and marmite.

I'm meeting someone I've met on the forum I chat on today who lives in the same area as me, which is quite exciting. Sounds silly saying I've met someone on the Internet, but it isn't like I've gone out to purposely meet someone and it would be silly to find someone in the same area to you with a baby at a similar age and not to meet for a coffee/tea. I'll let you know how it goes but she sounds lovely on the forum.

Tomorrow morning, Callum and I are going with some of the other post-natal mums to Mumbaba which is a singing/music group. Not really sure what to expect, but it might be fun...he he.

Think that about brings us up to date :o)


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