I was going to blog last week and commendate CC on his new found ability to stretch out his feeds at night-time.
I had tried dream-feeding him at 10:30-11pm and thought this was helping as he was then sleeping until around 3am before needing to feed. I eventually got so shattered though that one evening I couldn't actually stay awake for the dream-feed and he woke me himself at 12:30. He fed and then slept until 4:30 am. I then reassessed as to what exactly I was achieving with the 'dream-feed'.....not much really so just let his natural clock decide when to feed once again.
This was a good choice as within a few nights he actually did a stretch from 8-2, then a 9-4 and then a whopping 8-6! woohoo. He was 19 weeks old, and I recalled that BB did this at 19 weeks and then never looked back.....could I actually believe he'd started sleeping through?
Ah - I was a bit premature with my hopes. Admittedly it was still pretty cushty for a few nights as he went back to waking once (normally between 2 and 4) Not to be sniffed at, however for the past three nights he has regressed back to twice nightly feeds - around 1am and 5am. I know that most people would start introducing solids to help with the sleep, but I believe a small amount of sleep deprivation for me is a small price to pay to ensure that my boy gets the best start he can, and if they say it's best to wait 6 months before introducing solids, then that's what I intend to do....sleep or no sleep!
Monday, 15 August 2011
Big school and big boy pants
Well, here it is....
the eve of my eldests first day at school. He is bathed and clean with his uniform all labelled up and pressed ready for him to adorn tomorrow. His shiny new pencil case has pride of place in his nice new school bag and his shoes are pristine and scuff free.
I am already beginning to get emotional at the thought. I'm by no means apprehensive. I think this is due to the fact that he attends a very small rural school, and therefore for him it won't be such a huge culture shock as it might be for his friends up in the big smoke. I'm simply realising that my original baby is growing up faster than I'd like to acknowledge, and now even more so I'm willing his newest baby brother to not grow up at all! Although he's re-buffing this by now sitting on his own for short spells at a mere 20 weeks. (4 weeks ahead of his biggest brother) Simply not allowed! If I had my way I'd leave him lying on his back for the next few months, but he gets so frustrated that you simply have to sit him up or he wails his little heart out!
So back to BB. As I said - not apprehensive. He is more than ready for school. He has an avid interest in grammar and words and now he is extending his curiosity to simple mathematics. He can't wait to 'read his little brothers bedtime stories' although I think he may be disappointed once he finds out it will take more than a few days to be able to do this. I think he thinks that as soon as you start P1 you will wake up with the amazing ability to read.
I think that we may find doing homework a challenge at times, as he gets very frustrated when things don't 'click' and the I'm tired argument creeps in when he can't be bothered trying any more. I hope as a mother I can find the right tools to encourage him in the correct manner that leaves him eager for more rather than willing to give up. Personally I LOVED primary school, and just couldn't get enough to satiate my appetite for learning. I really hope he takes after his mum in this respect.
He is a different child to me though, in that I was very forthcoming. He lacks a bit of confidence in himself and can be somewhat shy at times. I hope he manages to retain his individuality though and not try too hard to conform to his peers.
We have decided to bite the bullet and potty train LL also (as though there isn't enough going on as there is!) Today was day one, and it didn't start too good, but there was a definite shift by the end of the day (once I actually removed the pants completely as he kept weeing through them just to get a nice new pair on!) He actually started going to his potty of his own accord, and there was even a triumphant wee on the loo before bath time.
One downside however is that I will have to stay at home with LL to keep a watchful eye over his potty visits whilst BB trots off to school with his Dad. In fact should the weather be agreeable they will in fact be riding off to school on their bikes. I think this was in fact a ploy by his dad so he didn't have to stand next to a blubbering mum at the school gate!
Kleenex at the ready.......
the eve of my eldests first day at school. He is bathed and clean with his uniform all labelled up and pressed ready for him to adorn tomorrow. His shiny new pencil case has pride of place in his nice new school bag and his shoes are pristine and scuff free.
I am already beginning to get emotional at the thought. I'm by no means apprehensive. I think this is due to the fact that he attends a very small rural school, and therefore for him it won't be such a huge culture shock as it might be for his friends up in the big smoke. I'm simply realising that my original baby is growing up faster than I'd like to acknowledge, and now even more so I'm willing his newest baby brother to not grow up at all! Although he's re-buffing this by now sitting on his own for short spells at a mere 20 weeks. (4 weeks ahead of his biggest brother) Simply not allowed! If I had my way I'd leave him lying on his back for the next few months, but he gets so frustrated that you simply have to sit him up or he wails his little heart out!
So back to BB. As I said - not apprehensive. He is more than ready for school. He has an avid interest in grammar and words and now he is extending his curiosity to simple mathematics. He can't wait to 'read his little brothers bedtime stories' although I think he may be disappointed once he finds out it will take more than a few days to be able to do this. I think he thinks that as soon as you start P1 you will wake up with the amazing ability to read.
I think that we may find doing homework a challenge at times, as he gets very frustrated when things don't 'click' and the I'm tired argument creeps in when he can't be bothered trying any more. I hope as a mother I can find the right tools to encourage him in the correct manner that leaves him eager for more rather than willing to give up. Personally I LOVED primary school, and just couldn't get enough to satiate my appetite for learning. I really hope he takes after his mum in this respect.
He is a different child to me though, in that I was very forthcoming. He lacks a bit of confidence in himself and can be somewhat shy at times. I hope he manages to retain his individuality though and not try too hard to conform to his peers.
We have decided to bite the bullet and potty train LL also (as though there isn't enough going on as there is!) Today was day one, and it didn't start too good, but there was a definite shift by the end of the day (once I actually removed the pants completely as he kept weeing through them just to get a nice new pair on!) He actually started going to his potty of his own accord, and there was even a triumphant wee on the loo before bath time.
One downside however is that I will have to stay at home with LL to keep a watchful eye over his potty visits whilst BB trots off to school with his Dad. In fact should the weather be agreeable they will in fact be riding off to school on their bikes. I think this was in fact a ploy by his dad so he didn't have to stand next to a blubbering mum at the school gate!
Kleenex at the ready.......
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Belly laughs
The most amazing thing happened today, just after the first signs of a giggle from CC! I was in a different room from LL and CC (who was standing in his activity centre) when I heard LL shouting that CC was laughing. I could hear what I thought was cries coming from the room so I dashed in to see the most beautiful sight... LL was whirling round and round with a colourful streamer on a stick in front of his baby brother - and said brother had way bypassed simple giggling to full on squeals of delight.
I didn't think either of them had it in them...
I didn't think either of them had it in them...
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Monday, 11 July 2011
We had a moment....
This is a post just for me - so's I don't forget a rare special moment I had today with LL. My middle boy I fear may be somewhat neglected - not in a complete way, but in that due to natural circumstances his other brothers at separate times have requested my attention more. This has created a pretty laid back little boy (don't get me wrong he is as stubborn as an ox when he wants to be...) but whilst I had huge guilts prior to his birth about his brother losing his mummy, it turned out that his toddler brother didn't lose his mummy at all - in fact he probably demanded more of her attention than previously, and LL would just sit back and watch as his brother stropped away. Now that his younger brother has come along he is of an age whereby he dotes on his older sibling and follows him like a puppy and copies him like a parrot - hence my attention is now diverted towards his younger sibling!
Where this is leading to is that today we shared a moment. BB and CC were otherwise engaged (outdoors) and LL came in to seek me out. We then spent 5 mins nose to nose exchanging cuddles and numerous kisses (and the odd rub-a-noses). He spent the entire time with a cheeky glint in his eye and a grin from ear to ear and my heart doubled in size in that precious few minutes.
I think in that moment I truly learned what unconditional love is about.
Where this is leading to is that today we shared a moment. BB and CC were otherwise engaged (outdoors) and LL came in to seek me out. We then spent 5 mins nose to nose exchanging cuddles and numerous kisses (and the odd rub-a-noses). He spent the entire time with a cheeky glint in his eye and a grin from ear to ear and my heart doubled in size in that precious few minutes.
I think in that moment I truly learned what unconditional love is about.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Sleep baby sleep?
Well last night CC had the house to ourselves so I decided to try a bit of controlled crying to gauge if his night feeds are through hunger or habit.
He does feed when I pick him up when he grumbles, but I've been so conscious of not awakening the household that I've never actually given him the choice - if he's grumbled he's been whisked up and latched on before he knew what hit him! My uber tiredness has thrown a spanner into any kind of routine because I've been so out of it through the night that I have no clue when I've picked him up and how often and long he's fed for!
Soo, last night he was bedded about 8pm, and I fell asleep about 10:30. He grumbled at midnight, so I fed him. He then started crying at 3:45, but I let him cry for a bit as I drifted in and out of sleep. The guilts forced me to get up to him as I thought he must be frantic thinking he was alone, but patting him and speaking made no difference. I picked him up and that made him worse! I decided to put him back down. Then I remembered that we used to play the plunky lullaby on the baby monitor to soothe BB, so I turned it on - silence! Ooh, that helped. Once the initial surprise was over he began grumbling again, so I started singing along thinking if he heard my voice he'd realise he wasn't alone - and lo and behold it worked! Annoyingly the monitor cuts out after a few minutes and it's on the other side of the room so I had to stay up to keep pressing it - and I found myself running out of lyrics to sing so I ended up singing the alphabet and singing up to one hundred etc. CC was frantically sucking away on his fingers whilst all this was going on (he's never worn scratch mitts as he's never scratched his face, and has now found his left fingers). After about 15 mins I stopped singing but kept playing the lullaby. I did this for another 15 mins, then risked letting it stop. By now it was 4:30, and he got himself over to sleep :0) He'd only actually cried for about 10-15 mins at the start of all that, and then slept until 6:30 - Result!
I may have screwed things up, as when I did feed him then I fell asleep and woke at 8:30 with him still in my arms! Anywho's, I'm hoping from that, that it's been habit that's been waking him up as he obviously wasn't hungry, and that a couple of nights of the same (if I'm not too tired to follow through) may break the habit and that might mean when his brothers come home from their grans he might let me have a bit more rest at night so I have more energy through the day......(well until our camping trip when all of this work will probably be undone!)
I took it a step further tonight and gave him his bedtime feed in our room with the lights low and no tv on in the background (it's normally on) and I've dream fed him at midnight. Fingers crossed for what comes next....
He does feed when I pick him up when he grumbles, but I've been so conscious of not awakening the household that I've never actually given him the choice - if he's grumbled he's been whisked up and latched on before he knew what hit him! My uber tiredness has thrown a spanner into any kind of routine because I've been so out of it through the night that I have no clue when I've picked him up and how often and long he's fed for!
Soo, last night he was bedded about 8pm, and I fell asleep about 10:30. He grumbled at midnight, so I fed him. He then started crying at 3:45, but I let him cry for a bit as I drifted in and out of sleep. The guilts forced me to get up to him as I thought he must be frantic thinking he was alone, but patting him and speaking made no difference. I picked him up and that made him worse! I decided to put him back down. Then I remembered that we used to play the plunky lullaby on the baby monitor to soothe BB, so I turned it on - silence! Ooh, that helped. Once the initial surprise was over he began grumbling again, so I started singing along thinking if he heard my voice he'd realise he wasn't alone - and lo and behold it worked! Annoyingly the monitor cuts out after a few minutes and it's on the other side of the room so I had to stay up to keep pressing it - and I found myself running out of lyrics to sing so I ended up singing the alphabet and singing up to one hundred etc. CC was frantically sucking away on his fingers whilst all this was going on (he's never worn scratch mitts as he's never scratched his face, and has now found his left fingers). After about 15 mins I stopped singing but kept playing the lullaby. I did this for another 15 mins, then risked letting it stop. By now it was 4:30, and he got himself over to sleep :0) He'd only actually cried for about 10-15 mins at the start of all that, and then slept until 6:30 - Result!
I may have screwed things up, as when I did feed him then I fell asleep and woke at 8:30 with him still in my arms! Anywho's, I'm hoping from that, that it's been habit that's been waking him up as he obviously wasn't hungry, and that a couple of nights of the same (if I'm not too tired to follow through) may break the habit and that might mean when his brothers come home from their grans he might let me have a bit more rest at night so I have more energy through the day......(well until our camping trip when all of this work will probably be undone!)
I took it a step further tonight and gave him his bedtime feed in our room with the lights low and no tv on in the background (it's normally on) and I've dream fed him at midnight. Fingers crossed for what comes next....
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