Thursday 30 April 2009

7 months, 4 weeks, 2 days old

Blurgh! I've got Man Flu (or is it Swine Flu...oink)? Translated as an 'orrible cold! I caught it from Callum, who caught it from Stuart :o( - it appears we aren't super-human after all. I can't believe we have managed to get this far without Callum getting a cold though, so I count us lucky. Although, very grumpy, Callum isn't suffering too bad. He stirs/cries a bit at night but doesn't often wake and he still sleeps during the day. Doesn't like me wiping his nose much though.

It was just typical that we caught a cold this week. Yesterday was the last 'at risk' day of catching chicken pox and there is no sign. I was really, really looking forward to catching up with the NCT gang but I just didn't feel up to it. On top of the cold, my body aches from climbing on Tuesday. I actually don't know how much of the aches and pains are the result of climbing and how much is down to the cold. All I know is that I feel blurgh! (as stated above).

On a positive note, we had great success with food today and a few successes over the last couple of days. So, in recent days, he has enjoyed fish stick (what used to be known as crab sticks), strawberries and a plum. It was really cute to see him holding and sucking a whole plum. Today, he really tucked into his dinner - sausage, mash and beans. He was clearly swallowing it too. He took a bite of sausage and had too much in his mouth to swallow so he gagged. Rather than spitting the whole lot out, he spat just a little bit out to make the amount in his mouth smaller and then swallowed the rest. 

He is also really interested in inspecting his food, turning it over and over and feeling the texture with his hands. 

Realised the other day, I don't think I've mentioned Callum's babbling. He has been properly babbling for a couple of weeks or so now. As in "abababa, dadadadad, mumom'm (when he is upset, rather typically)" and a few other sounds and letters too. I love it :o)

Tooth no.2 is well and truly through. It seemed to come through with a lot less pain and grumpiness than tooth no.1 thankfully. Lets hope they continue to do so.

Stuart is really pleased at how much Callum clearly recognises that he is Daddy. He instantly smiles at him and, when he moves out of site, looks to see where he has gone. From my point of view, things are often so much easier when Stuart is around. I think he is so pleased to be with Daddy that he is happy to try more or is just happier in general.

Think that sums it up for now!

Thursday 23 April 2009

7 months, 3 weeks. 2 days

Weight: don't even ask. It is yoyoing all over the place at the moment. 

Had a few 'realisation' days recently about the life I've left behind. I guess it is because the sun is starting to shine again, the weather is getting warmer and days getting longer. One of the things I miss is when Stuart and I used to go down the pub to watch the footie in the evening. I remember us saying at the time that we were still going to do those nights and we would just get a babysitter. Ha ha, the things you say before you know!!!!

The other thing I realised is that I'm never going to be able to go for a drink after work again. Because I'll be working locally and Stuart is in London, I'll always have to pick Callum up from childcare. When I said this to Stuart he said that wouldn't necessarily be the case as he would sometimes work from home but this isn't something I can depend/rely on and these days will probably be so adhoc. It would be just my luck that the day Stuart works from home, no one will want to go down the pub. 

Hey ho- that's the life of a mummy I suppose :o(

That aside, Callum is still lovely :o)

Weaning is still slow but he seems to be trying more food now. He really liked pineapple and he had a good suck on a bit of smoked salmon, both of which surprised me. Cream cheese is a big hit. I tried peanut butter yesterday - was a bit scary, what with nut allergies, but he seemed fine and didn't dismiss it either. There was a moment when we went to bed that Callum seemed to be having trouble breathing but it was just because his nose was blocked. Scary going to sleep last night though.

He is slowly getting better at his rolling. He is fine as long as he gets his arm in the right place when he is on his front, otherwise he just looks like he is trying to do a sky dive! I do wonder, when he is struggling, whether he might learn how to crawl by accident when trying to roll as he pushes his knees into a crawling position with his bum in the air. His arms and face are still on the floor though so we are a long way off crawling!

With the recent spell of sunshine, I took Callum out in the garden for the first time the other day. He seemed to love being somewhere new and outside and kept pulling up the grass. We have been out there a couple of times now. He loves it at first but gets bored very quickly. I should probably gets some toys that are just for outside as I think he gets bored with his toys.

We are on chicken pox watch at the moment which isn't much fun. I'm trying to stay away from groups of babies just in case which can be a bit lonely! My friend's two little boys caught chicken Pox. Chicken Pox is contagious about 2 days prior to the first spots developing until the spots have all crusted over (usually about 5 days after first spots). I saw them on the Wednesday and they got their first spots on Friday night. Frustratingly, there is an incubation period of between 10 and 21 days. We are currently on day 15. I still went to Pushy Mothers but I didn't go to the restaurant after so Callum didn't mingle with the babies. He might not get it but I just don't know. I know some people are happy for their children to get Chicken Pox as early as possible and, if Callum did get it, I'd think at least it was out of the way but I just don't like the idea of once we have got out nights and everything sorted, that these would likely all be messed up again. However, I guess there is no right time for it. If it wasn't now, it might happen when we were due to go on holiday or something. At least, if it was now, it should be cleared up by his Naming Ceremony and we don't have anything else planned to mess up. Actually, we have a photoshoot the week before his Naming Ceremony but I guess it'd be fine by then too.

I'm missing not going to my NCT meets though. Should be going this afternoon.

I've started looking into Childminders now ready for when I go back to work. I've got an appointment this morning for one. The thought of going back to work is now becoming very real and scary. Wish I knew where or what I was going back to...or even when I was going back. Hard to arrange stuff when it is all so open. I really hope I can find a job that pays enough for childcare and a cleaner. If I can't, then I really can't afford to go back to work. If it paid towards our bills too then that would be an added bonus but for me, the childcare and cleaner are priority. I want to go back 3 days a week so I don't want it to be the case where the two days I'm not working, I'm stressing about cleaning rather than spending the time with Callum. If I did that, I might as well work full time!!! I also hope the job market has picked up a bit by the time I start looking, which will be in July. 

Anyone want a part-time IT Trainer/Training Consultant in the Surrey/Hampshire area? Pick me, pick me!!!


Tuesday 7 April 2009

7 months, 1 week

Weight: not sure what my last weight statement was but I now have 7lb to lose to get back to pre-preg weight. Seems such a small amount but so difficult to do (guessing the easter egg I've just demolished wont help!!!)

Well, feeling a bit frustrated with the weaning today. We have made progress but, despite the fact BLW is meant to be easier and there are meant to be less battles than with spoon-feeding, I still feel like mealtimes are such a struggle. Sometimes Callum will try something but most of the time he just throws a kind of tantrum for most of the time he is in his Bumbo. I try to eat my meals (except dinner) with him and he does sometimes look at what I'm doing and try his too but, usually, he will whine and whinge and rock back and forth for ages (by which time I've eaten my meal) and then he will see something, pick it up, look at it, throw it on the floor and go back to whining, whinging and rocking again. He seems to take more notice of what is on his tray if I'm ignoring him and off doing other stuff so I end up doing that. He really behaves as if I am trying to poison him.

I'm not changing my mind about doing BLW and I really do believe it will get better and is a better way to wean than spoon-feeding, but I feel that Callum is just not really interested. I'm really worried he is going to turn into a fussy eater like I was. From his reactions, I get the impression he would be the same (if not worse) even if he was spoon-fed.

As I say, we have made progress. He only coughs a little bit now when pieces break off in his mouth and it doesn't necessarily mean he will immediately discard it. He has gone back to sucking on bananas for a bit. He is still really keen on cucumber and will suck on a piece for a while. Today, he seemed to enjoy sucking on a piece of duck (in between 'tantrums') and yogurt has been a big hit (especially strawberry) - when I say big hit, it means he goes back for another mouthful or two. Typically unhealthy, he tucked into a chip on Saturday. We were having a day out and Stuart and I had fish and chips so had to share with him to stick with the BLW rule. He really went for the chip. Odd then that he isn't interested in roast potato or roast sweet potato. 

I think I just expected Callum to be more interested in trying stuff but, so often, it doesn't even get to his lips. If he doesn't like the feel of it when he touches it with a finger - tantrum and eventually it meets the floor! 

On a more positive note, he is still sleeping through (touching wood and hoping I haven't just jinxed it) and he has rolled and got stuck a couple more times. I can also feel tooth number 2 just under the gum - I can't wait for that to finally make an appearance. Teething isn't fun and I don't think Callum has been too bad with it. I've heard worse cases where the baby's routine has really been affected along with the constant grizzling.

We are still going to rhymetime/baby bounce at the library when we can. Callum spends the first while looking scared at all the other babies running/crawling around and he makes whimpering noises. Not really sure what he gets out of it - I think I enjoy it more than he does ;o) Today, a child kept stealing his toy, poor thing. The mum just kept apologising saying her child didn't normally do that. Didn't really stop him from doing it at all, though, or try to get a replacement one or anything. Then a little girl nearly pinched me - only lightly but kinda did it sneakily while I wasn't looking then looked all shocked when I looked at her. Oh well, it gets us out of the house for a bit.