Week 15 - Happy Halloween!

Week 15

It feels a bit like we have taken 2 steps forward in a lot of areas this week, mainly in Pads physical and mental development, and he definitely looks bigger all round, but consequentially, we've taken 2 steps back when it comes to his sleep. Not fun. My eyes are lightly burning as I type this through tiredness and I am pretty sure that Pads has little bags under his eyes (and I definitely do!). Just when you think you know what's going on, the clocks go back and all that lovely sleep you were getting, goes out the window! This is week 15 and what it threw at us. 

1. Making new mum friends. 

I now have a network of new mums locally which I made through the flying start baby acorns programme, which is great. My lovely NCT ladies are fabulous, but they are all well over an hour away from us unfortunately, as we had to attend the Cardiff classes because our local one didn't run due to lack of attendees, so I can't often make it to meet ups as I don't always have the car (one car family sharing!) and sometimes it is just too far to go if Pads is a bit grizzly or we haven't had much sleep! I have had to sadly miss out on a few afternoon meets now because of the above so it's good to have some mum friends right on my doorstep as well - well not quite, but only a lane and a couple of roads away at least! We met up for a walk for our inaugural meeting but the weather was so foul we ended up cosily camped out in a cafe drinking tea and swapping baby stories and advice instead, which was just the ticket, so thanks ladies and looking forward to another catch up soon.  You too NCT ladies and partners - I miss you!

2. Happy Halloween! 

Pads got to dress up 2 days in a row as both of our baby groups were doing Halloween specials. He was of course Jack the Pumpkin King, in a super cute and cuddly fleece pumpkin romper with a hood, and I have to say, he looked his most adorable yet. Fancy dress on babies is just so right. 

Our baby sensory class was pumpkin themed too so Paddington was seriously dressed the part, and it was a fantastic class this week. (Maybe because it appealed to the Halloween lover in me!). We missed the opening song again as Pads was this time asleep and he woke up terrified by the noise bless him, so we had some cwtches to calm him down (the music is quite terrifying to be honest. I wouldn't want to wake up to it). 

The activities began with us showing big cards with different coloured images on them to our babies to see which ones they preferred - Pads was a fan of the red leaves and the yellow lemon tree, not the firey dots and bluey green plasma that apparently 80% of babies prefer. Striking out with his individuality already good boy. 

Then there were flashing light-up maracas to play with in the dark (a real hit with my boy so they have gone to the top of his Xmas list), a colourful wall and ceiling light show and a 'glowing' tissue paper bonfire to really get the senses going, as well as a cool basket of autumnal smells including a parsnip, baby pumpkin (munchkin?!), dried orange and lemon slices and a whole dried lime for him to sniff and feel. The smell basket was a fab idea and his little face was full of expression at the different aromas - the dried lime was his least fav as it smelt so bitter but the dried citrus fruits and parsnip were winners. 

He loved lying on a faux fur rug and having brightly coloured chiffon scarves draped over him and dangled in front of him in the play time break, but he was a bit tired out by this point so we stopped for a gentle feed to recharge his batteries and came back for part 2 of the activities, which culminated in a very cool pumpkin patch with giant inflated pumpkins and green rope lights strewn across the floor, orange balloons being dropped from above and a bubble machine pumping out tiny light reflecting bubbles which had Pads in a complete wonder, especially when they popped right in front of his nose! It was a real treat for the senses, even for me, so I think Pads was completely excited and stimulated by the whole experience. It was a really fun class. Maybe it was because the group was smaller this week because of half term so everyone seemed friendlier, and perhaps because the theme was so appealing and the activities really interested Pads, I left feeling very impressed and like I had learnt more about what my baby likes and responds to and why.

3. 1 year ago today...Trick or treat? 

Halloween is very special to us as it was on Halloween last year that we found out we were pregnant. Whilst watching 'Death becomes her'. As you do. I had been complaining to Jon of having a weird metallic taste in my mouth twice that week and had been drinking a lot more water than I usually do yet still feeling really thirsty. Jon had his suspicions as we were trying to get preggers, so he bought two pregnancy kits. I thought there was no way I was pregnant yet, and was convinced I'd just know if I was anyway, but there was no harm in doing the tests so that night, halfway through the movie, I needed a wee, so took the stick in with me and expected nothing of it. 

A minute or so passed with a few nervous feelings as we waited for the stick to show up the result, then I went back into the bathroom to check on it and it clearly said 'pregnant'. No mincing of its words there. I was a bit stunned actually, though we were trying, as I had expected it to take up to a year or more and we were only a couple of months in to actually trying properly. I quietly and seriously called Jon's name upon seeing that 8 letter word and came back to the bedroom holding the stick. All at once I felt elated, nervous, scared, overwhelmed, excited and shocked (still do!). Jon's face just lit up with a huge grin and after several long hugs and both of us double checking that it did indeed definitely say 'pregnant', we sat down to excitedly chatter about what it might be like to be parents and who was growing inside me. The next morning I did the other test just to make sure I was still pregnant, and yup, I was. 

Little did we know then how much our gorgeous Paddington would change our lives for the better or what an absolutely beautiful and characterful boy he would be from the off. Best thing we ever did was have you buddy. Definitely a treat to receive on Halloween 2014 (not a trick!) 

4. Play hard. 

On Monday we had a real play day and it was incredibly bonding - not that we need to bond, we are a tight little mum and son unit already, but I felt even closer and more in sync with my little man afterwards.  We play everyday without fail, even if it's just for a short while, but this was a big whole day of play and he loved all the attention and variety. 

After our morning Tinies class, where we did baby yoga and tummy time, we then came home to baby gym play time - some on his own then some with me when he started grizzling. Then we did tummy time play on a cushion and explored rolling - he prefers rolling onto the right side it seems, so I was encouraging him to also roll on to his left.  He kept rolling out of tummy time on to his back, not staying on his belly for more than 20-30 seconds at a time so we kept that activity short. 

We played with 2 teething rings and my teething necklace, grabbing, holding, bringing to his mouth and having a chew, and then did funny noises and faces which produced his fantastic chuckle again- pure gold. 

Next up, was some mirror time where I carried him over to the long hall mirror so he could look at himself and smile and coo and I tried out a bit of peek-a-boo to his mirror image which was met with more of a serious 'what are you doing' face than the glee I had hoped for. Then we moved the mirror play on to the bed with some side lying time with his fav mirror book that also makes crinkly noises so he loves to grab at the pages. 

Some 'aeroplane' fun followed and his current fav game is for me to lift him up over my head and let him push his feet against my collarbone whilst he looks down at my face, I pull funny faces back up at him and he giggles like a loon. Huge fun to be taller than mummy (it won't be long until he actually is at this rate!). A little row row row your boat with actions, facing me on my lap, got another excellent reaction from Pads. He totally loves this tune. (He had a real Paddy in the car this week and when I started singing this song, he calmed right down. Then when I stopped, he started up again so I tried the song again to see if it was just a fluke, but nope, it worked again! He liked it even better when the next time I sang it, Jon joined in so we were singing it in the round. It's very satisfying - try it.)

We finished off with some stretching and foot rattle play, which got some fab high kicking reactions from him and he kept lifting both feet in the air, having a good look at them and then rolling onto his right side then onto his back again, over and over. A little more tummy time looking at a black and white picture collage I made for him completed our play day. This was all interspersed with some feeds and nappy changes of course but our focus was on play. He was an absolute delight to be around and really responsive and reactive to the activities. That's my boy. I loved this day to bits.

5. Baby first aid. 

We attended a free first aid course run by the terrific St John's Ambulance, and though I hope I never have to use any of the skills I learnt, I am glad that I know what to do if Pads, or any other baby for that matter, should stop breathing or choke. Scary stuff to think about when it comes to your own baby but so important to be prepared and armed with the right information. I got to practice resuscitation techniques on a doll as it's all well and good knowing the theory but putting it into practice is another thing entirely, and I am glad I did as I forgot to open the doll's airways before doing mouth to mouth, meaning that the oxygen wasn't getting through so that's stuck in my head now to hopefully never forget if the time comes to use it. 

Here are the basics of what I learnt about first aid for a baby that has stopped breathing/collapsed: (interestingly babies collapse because they have stopped breathing so they need oxygen straight away, whereas an adult would collapse first then stop breathing after)

• Danger - make sure the area, the baby and you are safe before you proceed. 
• Response - before you do anything, try and get a response from the baby so using their name if you know it, talking to them loudly, making noises that would usually elicit a response - if nothing, then continue as this means they are unconscious, rather than just sleeping. 
• Shout for help - always get back up and someone to help you call 999 
• Airway - if you have assessed that they are not responsive, then the most important first step is to open the baby's airway, as when they are laying on their back, their airway is not open due to their larger head, unlike adults. Placing a rolled up cloth/piece of clothing/tea towel under their shoulders will do the trick.
• Breathing - check for 10 seconds, so listen, look at their chest - is it moving up and down at all, and place your cheek near their mouth to see if you can feel any breath. It may be easier to quickly remove a layer of clothing to help determine breathing as babies are often layered up, but don't be slow about it, just get a layer off quick. 
• If no breath detected, then Dial 999
• While you wait for the rescue services, give 5 rescue breaths covering over the baby's nose and mouth with your mouth, in a child under 1, plus 30 quick compressions. These are done with 2 fingers together in the middle of the chest and should be short and staccato like, and fairly firm.  Then give another 2 rescue breaths and 30 compressions repeatedly until help arrives/they recover or you can't carry on - if the latter, try and get someone else to take over. 

And here are the basics of first aid for a baby who is choking:

• Place the baby upside down with their tummy on your knee and their head facing down. 
• Apply 5 firm thrusts to their back with a pushing motion, check to see if anything has been dislodged, if not then turn them over onto their back, still on your knee and apply 5 firm abdominal thrusts. You can do this for up to 3 cycles only. 
• If they are still choking and nothing has come out then call 999. If you have managed to dislodge whatever was choking them, you still need to get them checked over as the thrusts can bruise so drive them to a and e yourself, don't call an ambulance if they are no longer choking.  

6. The next 'Wonder Weeks' developmental leap - Events. 

Boy, this is a long leap (lasting well over a month oh joy!) and I do think it is affecting his sleeping and feeding and making him much clinger and more demanding in general. He really shouts now when he wants attention and goes to histrionic crying when he is hungry or tired with lightening speed. We have to really be on the ball at the moment and quick to react - which is hard on little sleep!

Here's how this leap is changing him. He is possibly even more active than usual, loving a good leg thrashing at any opportunity whether in his car seat, changing table, baby gym or mat, and he has always loved a good stretch, but now, perhaps because there is so much of him to stretch, it seems that he puts more of his body into it.  When we have been out and about we have had a lot of comments about how alert he is and how interested in the world around him he is.

He is grasping things a lot more and with much better accuracy, and 9 times out of 10, once he has grabbed something he wants to put it in his mouth straight away. If I wave his teething ring or a muslin or pretty much anything in front or to the side of him, he will reach out and grasp it and hold it until it bores him.  He is chewing on the teething ring often now so I do think he has started the teething process poor guy. 

He is reaching for my face when it's near to him too, interested mostly in my mouth, and easily batting and grabbing things on his gym. He has very active spurts on the gym, looking around at all the toys and images hanging down and moving his body about with purpose, and then he will stop for a pause and a moment of stillness as if taking it all in and then start up again until he gets bored and then he lets me know immediately! They say the baby gym is where he practices his hand eye co-ordination and figures out what his hands can do and he is certainly doing that I'd say.

He definitely reacts to his mirror image and will look for me in the room if I have stepped away for a bit. He lets us know when he wants something with shouts and is a very impatient chap these days, whimpering and cry shouting if he doesn't get my boob fast enough usually! 

He seems to be getting to know his name as I have been singing a song to help him recognise it everyday and he loves the song and beams at me when I say his name in it so I think he is getting there. He has definitely grown both physically and mentally a lot this week it seems, with more certain movements and confidence with the sounds he makes. 

When we do nappy changes and after the bath during our massage, I try to give him some naked time as I think it's important for him to get more of a sense of his body and to just be free of clothes, nappies and restrictions for a bit, and get some fresh air on his skin. He certainly responds well to a bit of nudey play so I think we should try and do this more often to help him master physical skills better and just be free. As naked as the day he was born you might say!

7. Intolerance to TV violence.

My tolerance for tv violence has plummeted and I cannot watch babies in distress or danger on the tele anymore. We were watching 'The Walking Dead' and there was a scene where a character threatened a baby and I just couldn't watch. I couldn't look or listen to it, so instead turned to my sleeping boy and watched him until the scene was over and I could watch again. It was such a strong aversion to the content that I have never felt before, and some of the violence in the show that would never have made me even blink an eye before, I found too much, over the top, grotesque and un-necessary. This is a surprising change in my viewing tone. I guess in being a mum you want the world to be a good and safe place for your child and even watching a fictional world gone bad, brought out my protective and no-tolerance-for-this-sort-of-thing side.

8. Kickers. 

Pads wore shoes for the first time - just your casual lace up sneaker boot style - and they made him super curious about his feet. It was so cute to watch him keep lifting his feet in the air, flailing his legs out and even stomping them to the ground in wonder at these things on the end of his legs. You could say they have him a real kick.

9. Is the 4 month regression happening a week early?! (Or bang on time if you factor in that he was 9 days overdue?!!)

Pads has started waking a LOT more for night feeds and not sleeping for as long as he has done, and that I know he can. He is also waking more when I put him down in his cot so we are co-sleeping a lot more again which means that I don't sleep as well as am conscious of his safety and he takes up most of the bed so I am back on the edge, watching both of my boys sleep usually! And he is harder to get to sleep at night, taking longer to settle. I know this sleep regression is happening to a lot of mum friends at the moment so what is going on? The clocks going back may have a lot to answer for! 

For 4 nights in a row, and counting , after going to sleep around 8.30-9pm ish, he has been waking at midnight, then at 1am, 3am,5am and again at 6.30am, wanting feeds and much more comfort than usual each time for at least half an hour, so as you can imagine, we aren't getting a lot of sleep. This harks back to how he was in the first few weeks so seems to be a regression- or could it be teething?! I am just hoping it's not permanent as I am struggling to cope with the sleep deprivation after getting used to our nice blocks of sleep! Am definitely feeling like a 'mombie' this week, to steal a good pun from a friend!  

He has also been much more distracted during feeds, sometimes tilting his head to the side fully - with my nip in his mouth, ouch! - to look at something or respond to sound. Or sometimes barely feeding at all but wanting to be on the nipple for comfort and freaking out when I try and take him off when I know he isn't feeding. 

He has got messier at feeding again too, somewhat sloppier even and am having to once again pay more attention to him during feeds to keep him latched on properly and winded, and to stop him chewing on me or hurting me! And he wants more feeds still! At night he gets so impatient and excited for a feed, he thrashes his legs in anticipation, looking at me with wide, expectant eyes and starts to complain with grumbles or shouts or crying within seconds of me hearing him wake. Give me chance to get you out of the cot and into the side lying position mate! Me clipping my night bra open and actually getting the boob out is almost too much for him to bear and he is usually going crazy by this point as if I have left him waiting for hours starving and unfed while I get ready to feed, when actually it has been more like 20 seconds.

He's also not playing on his own for more than 10 mins anymore and demanding my attention pretty much all of the time again! I haven't been able to express for over a week as I do not have the time with him! And preparing/eating food requires stealth and speed, as the window of distraction for him is so small again. He is fine when I play with him but loses it pretty quick if I try to leave him to it for a bit as I used to. 

Oh those blissful days when he'd be happy and content playing in his gym for 45 mins and I could actually get stuff done/have some time to myself - I miss them!  So whether this is regression or perhaps he is learning new skills and developing fast at the moment so that's put him out of kilter, I do not know, but I am starting to dread his 3rd set of jabs again next week as they could throw him off even further.

10. Malting.

I am losing a serious amount of hair currently, which luckily for me as I have a lion's mane, isn't showing yet, but when I brush it or just after its washed, it is coming out in clumps. great, another after perk of pregnancy.  There's only one solution and that is to get a labrador to blame the blonde hairs that are everywhere on.

11. Scary sounds.

I have just begun to notice over the past 2 days that Pads is getting scared by loud or sudden noises. And I mean really shocked into red faced, limbs bunched up, hands in stiff claws, wailing scared.  He needs instant cuddles and 'there theres' to calm him down and looks really shaken for the next minute.  So far its been the hairdryer -which used to calm in funnily enough, the hoover - same scenario, cars driving past fast when we are on the pavement and just now when I sneezed whilst he was breastfeeding. 

He has only just started doing this and sound has never really bothered him before - only his father's cough, the loo being flushed or keys being thrown down on to a table startled him before.  It is a scary old world out there and I hope its just because he doesn't know what the sounds are and they have all been quite sudden ones, so they startle him, but am going to keep am extra close eye in case its something to do with his ears bless him.

12. A day in the life....How my day unfolds at home. 

As we are feeding every couple of hours again, my day usually goes something like this at home (when we don't have a baby group or catch up with friends to distract us.) Say it's 10am, we sit and feed for maybe 30-40mins, both boobs if possible, then either have a wind or he may have fallen asleep for a cat nap - on me of course, so I have 2 choices: let him sleep on me until he wakes up, which probably means he will get about half an hour and I will get some quiet time, albeit with a sleeping baby attached to me (which is lush so I do often chose this option and stick on an episode of Scandal as my 'rest' time - I know, such a bad mother) or try and put him down to sleep, which I know is the 'recommended' method but usually means that either a.) he will wake up as soon as I put him down no matter how carefully I bend down with him/place and roll etc... Or that b.) he will go down so peacefully looking and give me 3-5 mins of tease sleep where I think "boom! Nailed it! I can go to the loo/get something done"...then he's awake again and bawling. It's now probably around 11.

So I do a stealth nappy change in under a minute in case that's what's bothering him, then try and settle him again and get him to go back to sleep but he is having none of it thanks. A cat nap and a clean nap-nap (yes, I have succumbed to the new mum trait of calling nappies, 'nap-naps'. Don't ask me why or how this happened. It just did.) was all he wanted thanks very much. I still need that wee at this point so I pop him on his baby gym and he delights in all the fun toys, extra bits of muslin hanging down, tissue paper, black and white pics I have lovingly fixed to the arches, time and effort etc...that I have put into making it a varied, stimulating and inspiring space for him, cooing and ahhing and smiling and I think "great, this is great", so off to the loo I go, then I pop the kettle on, do a quick chore with impressive efficiency and speed such as empty the dishwasher/ put a load of washing on/ hang up a load of washing etc...,sterilise the expressing equipment/start assembling the pump for use, and start wondering what I'll do next - maybe finish reading that book I started in late pregnancy, I've got some calls I could make, or should I hoover? - then he decides the gym is now boring/ un-stimulating/over-stimulating/the absolute worse place ever and starts crying. It's now around 11.20 and I never did get round to making a cup of tea.

I try to settle him either by joining in his play or picking him up for cuddles if he's too far gone to the dark side. We then play together for a lovely 20 mins or so until he gets bored/ tired, with both of us smiling, laughing and developing our skills (me as a parent and responding to what skill he wants to work on at that time or what toy/activity amuses him the most at this time, and him, as a tiny human learning how to do everything from scratch!), with me taking a bunch of cute pics/videos of him. It's now around 11.40.

He then yawns/ rubs his eyes/ looks away distracted, so I know he is tired and try to get him to nap with a combo of head strokes, cuddles, rocking, ssshing etc... None of them work as he wants to fight sleep and look around/ practice a new skill he has learnt. It is now around 11.55. 

I pop him back on the gym/ on the mat for tummy time/ sitting up on my lap/ propped up on my knees and play another game or two or just give him lovely smiles and eye contact if that's what he's into at that moment, whilst figuring out my next move - perhaps a walk outside will get him to sleep or maybe I'll pop him in the sling so I can get something done, and then he starts rooting/ stretching his neck and mouth sideways and up in hungry anticipation, sucking his hand/thumb, crying or a combination of all of the above. It's now noon and 2 hours have somehow managed to pass already since his last feed as cruelly you time it from the start of the feed, not the end, meaning you are already doomed when you start (life really is that cruel), and it's time to repeat the whole cycle again until bath and bed time when a whole new set of fun and games begins. This is why a new mum never gets anything done.

Week 14 - classes and passes (of poo)

Our little, or should that be long?!, boy is now 61 cms from his head to his toes. This is just over 2 foot long which seems pretty impressive considering he's only just over 3 months. He is noticeably taller than the 6 month old babies in our baby groups and his limbs just seem to keep stretching. He's our very own stretch armstrong, but much, much cuter. We are having to put clothes aside almost daily now that he has grown out of and are best fitting the 2-4 mth range from our fav shop, H and M. (I have a serious H and M baby section addiction btw. I would buy almost all of it if I wasn't on smp! A browse through the website can satisfy my shopping urges mostly though - and perhaps I may just have treated us to a couple of new outfits for when he is 6 months plus. Perhaps. They really do the cosiest, nicest baby leggings, joggers and jumpers and it's all pretty well priced too.)

As one lovely mum friend pointed out, he is definitely growing well and you can't grow sideways and lengthways at the same rate at the same time can you so though he is lean, he is definitely growing longer - sounds funny to say taller with a baby doesn't it?! 

This is the 14th week that was.

1. Sleep wars. 

I won the big fight against sleep on Friday! All day Pads just wouldn't take a nap but he was clearly exhausted and needed one. I tried all my usual tricks; ssh patting, rocking, singing etc but nothing was working so we went out in the buggy for a walk as a last resort, and because by this point, I really needed to not be in the house with a cranky baby anymore! 

20 minutes of him screaming his head off while I gently pushed and rocked the buggy through clenched teeth followed and I was about to turn back into the house and give up when my stubborn streak rose it's head and went 'no, not yet. You can do this'. So I carried on past the house for another 5 minutes of walking with a screaming baby feeling like I really should've just gone back home as this was no good for either of us and then suddenly silence, eyes shut and one sleeping baby. We did it! I won!  

I then continued to walk up and down the same lane (as we currently live near some very busy and windy country roads so the walk options are limited without getting into the car,  for the best part of an hour not wanting to stop the motion of the buggy for fear of waking him up. I did some more of those buggy squats and leg raises every time I reached one end so it was a workout and a nap routine in one. As I suspected as soon as I did finally stop walking and returned home he did wake up but we'd had a good hour sleep by then so all was good with the world again! Perseverance, and fresh air, are key it seems!

And on Sunday eve, after a really tricky week of sleep, he gave us 8.5 hrs straight at night - smashing his previous record! Good boy. Keep that up and your pocket money allowance will sky rocket little man!

2. Baby sensory class. 

I joined another baby class and was really looking forward to baby sensory, as it is called, as I am so interested in what babies respond to and how you can help them develop as a parent and I had heard nothing but the highest praise about this course from other mums. We arrived nice and early for a breastfeed, which didn't go great, as there was lots of shiny paper and colourful kiddy artwork on the walls that demanded Padsters attention. Then class began while we were still feeding - this is standard practice for us at a baby class now and I expect it, but we were able to join in the first 20 minutes of activity after only a few minutes this time as he was more interested in the singing taking place around him than in my breasts anymore. 

We sang a tune about the sun accompanied with baby sign language which I do not currently know at all so it was all a bit lost on us that one and Pads was again more interested in staring at the baby next to him than watching me attempt to sign at him. Next, we did a song called 'Tommy thumb', about all his fingers, with a glove puppet that was pretty fun and Pads seemed to like that. I couldn't help but snigger at the name of the 4th finger in the song though, Ruby ring. Just me?! 

Then we were swiftly, and I mean swiftly - this class moves at a lightening pace! - onto what the instructor called some 'baby reggae' apparently, but it certainly didn't sound like reggae to me, just music of an ethnic origin would've been a more accurate term, along with some massage moves to apparently make them aware of their body parts so it went like this 'there's your head, lovely head' whilst rubbing their head, 'there's your nose, lovely nose' whilst rubbing their nose and so on. I think you get the picture. I have been doing the classic 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' with him at home which gets a much bigger reaction from him so this new version felt a bit flat. 

We did some tummy time sleep massage techniques with the lights dimmed, which definitely will be useful in the future and were very relaxing for Padster, then it was 'break' time which was where we moved over to a very full and varied play area with lots of playmats, toys, ball pools and Pads fav, a softly inflated air bed covered in brightly coloured satins and silks that I stroked his skin with and dangled in front of him to his absolute glee. This was my favourite part of the class, but I wanted to know why these different things were good for babies to play with and what they helped develop but the instructor was busy chatting to some other mums, so play was then up before we knew it and we were back to another 20 minutes of activity. 

This half was a lot more fun for him, and me. I think he had settled a bit by this part and wasn't as overwhelmed by everything going on around him. We shook shiny and bright Pom poms in front of our babies and gave them a rattle to shake while we sang a high pitched tune and Pads loved this. Shiny is good, and he even shook the rattle himself a few times pretty much on the beat too. 

Row row your boat whilst sitting in my lap was another success with Pads who properly giggled, nay, chuckled with delight at the actions - a new sound for him and such a brilliant one to hear! (more on this later). Then the tutor laid out a colourful parachute and we rolled inflatable beach balls across it. As Pads was facing out to see the balls I couldn't really see his face or how this activity was going down with him but it felt pretty random to me and seemed very fast moving for them to see properly, but I am no expert and it wasn't fully explained. Then it was time for the goodbye song and class was over. It went so quickly and I left a little disappointed if I am honest as I expected more explanation and repetition so we could get a handle on the activities - if you haven't done them before, which was the case for most of us in the class I'd say, by the time you've stumbled through the beginning of a new activity and started to figure out what you are doing, it's over and you are on to the next one. Maybe it's because it was my first week so perhaps things get repeated each week, it just seemed very rushed to me but then again, maybe that's to keep the babies attentions? Pads did seem to really enjoy most of it judging by his lovely smiles and giggles, and was super alert, interested and active throughout (when is he not though?!) so I think he is getting a lot out of the activities which is the whole point. Next week is Halloween themed so am very excited about that as I am a Halloween freak, and we get to dress up - score!

After we left the class, we took a stroll around Tintern Abbey (as part of our Welsh castles and monuments of historical interest challenge! Incidentally we lost our first sock somewhere in the abbey, it's a grey and white striped one if you happen to visit and find it!), and Pads slept really deeply and peacefully for a full 2 and a half hours in the sling without stirring, as I walked around the abbey and the river and had lunch, so clearly the massive amounts of stimulation and sensory overload did the trick! 

3. Size matters. 

We have gone up a nappy size finally and are into Size 2s. This feels like a milestone indeed. They definitely fit him better and seem to be holding the goods in so far. We should probably have sized up earlier. I didn't realise the cross over between the early nappy sizes, the size 1s we have been using are for 4-11lbs but our size 2s are from 9-13lbs so we could've switched earlier if I had known and I don't think he will be in these ones that long as the size 3s are 11-15lbs. So I reckon when we finish these size 2s, we may as well go onto 3s as they will last us longer and the weight category crosses over anyway so they will still fit him. It's a nappy minefield isn't it!

4. Everyone is an expert on your baby.  

When we are out and about we seem to bump into the know-it-all,-poke-their-head-into -the-buggy-uninvited types with alarming frequency, or is it just that having a baby suddenly gives the world and its wife license to pass comment and judgement, especially when your gorgeous little angel is having a freak out/screaming fit and you are clearly stressed and want to get back home/into the car/away from people as quickly as possible?! My favourite helpful comments to get when I pass by someone who clearly won parent of the year every year since it began and must be an expert on baby soothing, when Pads is screaming his head off, are: "Oh he is hungry". Is he now? I fed him 10 minutes ago so bore off. "Oh he's cold". Is he now? In a vest, body suit, duffle and hat?! Bog off! "Oh he's tired". Yes thanks, state the bleeding obvious, that is why I am out walking him to try and get him to sleep!

Just because I have a baby and a buggy does not mean I need/want/appreciate your advice. Just wanted to make that clear. Unless you want to tell me my son is a beautiful baby, he looks just like me, isn't he a good baby?, or that I'm doing a great job. If so, comment away. 

5. The wrong sort of doughnut. 

I ordered a ring doughnut shaped piles cushion and it looks like a giant foam polo. Frequent sitting throughout the day is making my piles worse as it is putting pressure on the little shits. Great. I have to sit frequently throughout the day as I need to breastfeed my son every 2 hours so this is an unavoidable scenario, hence the special cushion.  I really have no dignity anymore! It's too early on to tell if the cushion will make a difference but it is surprisingly comfy and I can still get into position for biological feeding on it. Fingers crossed this helps! You can't say I am not trying my best to get rid of them!

6. Safety first. 

It was the last baby acorns class this week and I will miss it, as it's been invaluable for free information and guidance. There should be more government funded baby groups like this across the country as I found it really informative, great fun and a fab way to meet other mums in my area.  I must give a big shout out to the course leaders, Sue and Amanda too, both were not only lovely and supportive, inclusive and full of information and tips, they clearly have a huge passion and love of babies and this just shone through, making it a really comfortable and enjoyable environment to be in. 

Over the 8 week course, we have covered baby massage - my fav subject! - weaning,  teething, sleep, baby brains and development and this last session was all about safety in the home.  

Apparently, the new guidelines are to fit a fixed safety gate at the top of the stairs, which screws in to the wall, so the whole gate swings open and there isn't a step bar across the bottom, like on the unfixed ones, that can become a trip hazard. They now say to remove the gate when the baby hits 2 years old as they can then climb over it and fall down the stairs, and to instead move it to their bedroom doorway, so if they do get up in the night and climb it, they are only going to fall onto the landing on the other side - by which point you will have woken up from the noise to assist them anyway! I've ordered a set of safety gates that also happened to luckily be in the sale (check out Asda who have a sale on certain baby items at the mo'), ready for when we finally move in to the cottage. 

I can't believe that Paddington will soon be crawling around and getting into cupboards and things, but it won't be long as he is already rolling over with ease and making the first attempts at a crawling motion with his arms, legs and bum, when on his tummy, so it was good to get advice now to think ahead (especially as we are doing our cottage up so we can implement new safety precautions from the off). A great, yet really simple tip, was to move the traditional cleaning cupboard that everyone has under the sink, to a high cupboard, so you don't need to worry about locks or baby getting the bleach out, as they just won't be able to reach the cupboard. Simple. I've started stocking up on some safety corners for the coffee table, electrical socket safety plugs and safety door slam stoppers too so we are fully prepared to baby safe our new home. 

They also told us about nappy bags that come on rolls now (apparently Wilko's are one of the first stores to sell these as mandatory), as nappy bags in the traditional envelope wallet are now being considered unsafe as it's easy for little fingers to pull them out and as the bags obviously have no holes in them, they then become a suffocation risk. With the bags on a roll, they are harder for baby hands to get at, or you can just pop your wad of nappy bags into a sealable Tupperware box which babies can't open either. All useful hints and tips. 

They also mentioned that Canada has now banned baby walkers (apparently Canada are the world leaders when it comes to safety issues and often lead the charge when something needs to be taken off the shelves, I did not know this. Go Canada! - good for you guys Jack and Shakira!), and deemed them unsafe as too many babies have had accidents toppling out of them and some of them can reach speeds of up to 7 miles per hour! I think I'll be following Canada's lead and not bothering with them either. One less piece of bulky plastic baby kit is alright with me too - I feel like we have enough stuff already and we haven't even got into the world of the toddler and their toys yet!

7. 4 days without. 

Pads went 4 whole days this week without doing a number 2 (man he is going to love reading these posts when he's a teenager isn't he?! Sorry son). I was starting to worry that he may have his first bout of constipation but on the 5th day he did a corker of a canary yellow poop, which looked lovely and loose as usual. Apparently as long as he isn't straining or in pain when he does go and the stools aren't hard or out of the ordinary then he should be fine, this is just his digestive system maturing, after all, we adults don't poop every single day do we? 

That same evening I had my first curry since Pads came along, a Thai red curry since you ask, and it may just be a coincidence but boy oh boy did we have a poonami explosion the next morning! His best yet I'd say, as it was also accompanied by 2 live poos during the clean up again and a massive wee whilst I had his legs up in the air to clean his bum so yup, he wee'd all over his chest and face. It was a 10 wipe clean up job with one very soiled sleepy suit that took 15 minutes to scrub the yellow poop off so not to stain it! (I did find myself stood in the bathroom with yellow poo on my fingers, marvelling at the lovely shade and consistency rather than thinking 'eeww I am covered in shit' or 'I should wash this off at once', which are probably the normal responses to a shituation like this.) 

I think I may lay off the curries again for a while whilst I'm breastfeeding to save the little guy a multiple explosive poo session and to save myself the clean up job! (Jon was soundly, blissfully asleep conveniently until I was doing the last bit of wipe up - next time, I'm handing pooey Pads over to him!)

8. Paddington's loves. 

Pads likes lamp to quote Brick Tamland from Anchorman. Well, more specifically, he likes watching ceiling spotlights turn on, warm up and get brighter, and also just likes lamps in general. He can spend a long time, well 10 minutes IS a long time for a baby, just staring at them, laughing, chattering away and getting excited.

He also really loves looking at himself closely in the mirror. He has always been a mirror fan but now I take him right up close to the bathroom mirror before bath time so he can touch the glass if he likes and he gets so excited at his smiling face looking back at him that he wobbles his head and opens his mouth in wonder before turning into my chest smiling, as if being a little coy, then turning back to his image to have a smile and chat. So cute it makes me want to make another Paddington there and then. (Not yet though people, not yet.)

Another love of his, is a black and white bee image on his mobile above his changing table. He gives it a brilliant smile every nappy change and chats away to it like an old friend. It can keep him occupied for at least 15 mins, which is winner as I can get things done around him whilst he is busy with his bee pal. I think the bee needs a name, how about Bee-trice?

9. Rattler. 

I have just bought my little man some hand and foot rattles with little bugs on them that you Velcro to his wrists and ankles to help him recognise his hands and feet. I'm not sure he is fully aware that he is wearing them on his wrists yet but he does look super cute with them on.  The foot rattles however have been a revelation to him.  He has now become completely aware of his feet and loves to stick them up in the air and stare at the rattles on them, kick them about and with a little encouragement, grab onto them.  Totally adorable. 

10. One car family. 

It has been fab to have Jon back this week, though as we are renovating an old cottage, Jon has been working on that iall day everyday, so we haven't had as much time together as we'd like, and he starts his new job next week. Still, it's great to have him home in the evenings and for bath time especially, and it's great to know he is there in the night or early morning should me or Pads need him. 

We only have one car, which was fine when we lived in the big smoke, so we have had to start juggling who gets to have it throughout the week, and I am very grateful that Jon understands my need to go to our baby classes, not just for Paddington's development but also for me, so I have had the car on the days I have groups to go to, which has been 3 this week! 

I do get a lot more out of the classes than just the content. They are important for socialising with other mums and to chat about how things are going and share stories, to make some new friends and have a time to aim for to leave the house and a new experience to enjoy with my baby. I am thankful that my hubby respects and recognises these needs, as he could easily have claimed the car for the week as it would've made things easier for him getting to and from the cottage, without having to wait for me and Pads to be ready to give him a lift - which as anyone with a baby knows, can take a long time! (and to do more tip runs and visits to building merchants etc...) 

It's very different to living in London where I didn't need the car as could tube or train it anywhere, living here in the country, you absolutely have to have a car or you're pretty much stuck! I think a 2nd run around car may be on the cards soon to make our lives a bit easier - Lord knows it's about time we tried to do that! (If anyone is selling a small car let us know!)

I would go a bit stir crazy without my baby groups - they help give a bit of routine and structure to the week and I look forward to the interaction with other adults and babies, and Pads enjoys the experience too, so it's a win win!

11. Challenge update.

We managed to tick off 2 castles/historical monuments this week, Tintern Abbey as mentioned above, and the gorgeous Grosmont Castle, which I heartily recommend for a short but beautiful wintry walk or a summers picnic - could just imagine Padster running around the grounds and playing on the rope swing when he's older.  (Thanks for the suggestion Ella). Nearly went in the local pub for a breastfeed but it was full of working men having a drink around the fire at the end of a long day so somehow didn't feel appropriate - next time!

12. Chuckles. 

Pads did his first proper full on laugh out loud chuckle. Like a proper melt your heart and make your day, your week, your year type of chuckle. It was after a particularly stressful and long car journey at night where he had been upset as he doesn't like the dark and was due a feed, so when we got home I wanted to cheer him up by way of an apology I suppose. As I got him into his sleepy suit before his feed, I kept popping my nose onto his and making hmmm sounds to cause a vibration and then blowing raspberries as I pulled my face away - he loved it and chuckled merrily away. So I continued this over and over to hear that delicious sound again and again. Wow. Total heart breaker and totally made every sleepless night, pooey incident and anything ever, worth it.  That chuckle is my new drug. I want more of it and I'll do anything to get it!

                                                 ***

3.5 months have raced by and our baby is looking more and more like a little boy these days. His hair is getting thicker and fuller but is still so gorgeously soft and strokeable. Although he doesn't quite have that same dreamy newborn scent that I adored, he still has a yummy sweet, pure, and slightly milky, smell that I cannot get enough of. And his new giggles and chuckle sounds are simply adorable and addictive. I would literally do anything to hear him laugh, and often do, and he makes me feel like I am absolutely the funniest person on the planet. (Which I am, right?!) 

Don't grow up too fast now Pads, these days we are sharing together are so precious, I want to make the most of them for the old memory bank!

Week 13 - jabs, jewellery and Jon

Week 13 - jewellery, jabs and Jon

1. Mama's new necklaces - that are made for Paddington too! 

I haven't really been wearing any jewellery other than earrings since Pads came along, as my usual necklaces are very fine with small pendants on them, so I have been worried about him choking on them or/and pulling them off and breaking them, so have only worn them a handful of times. This makes me sad as I love a good necklace. 

However, I just discovered two (pretty similar in style and price to be honest) ranges of breastfeeding and teething jewellery that are actually not only safe and sturdy enough for him to grab, yank and chew on, but that also look really cool and colourful for me to wear, so I treated myself to 1 piece from an Aussie company called Fox and Finn, and another from an American company called Mama and Little. 

They are both made from large BPA free, food grade, silicon beads on thick silk rope that is safety knotted between each bead, so they shouldn't come loose or break off, but if they do it will only be one bead and not the whole lot at once, and you can even wash them in the dishwasher to keep them sanitised and put them in the fridge for when Pads starts properly teething and needs something cool to chew on. How cool is that! It's a gift for both of us! 

You wouldn't even know they were a practical baby friendly item either as the designs are really lovely and chunky, and so far Pads seems to approve, as his roaming fingers now have something safe and fun to grab during a feed or when we are having hugs. And I am getting less chest scratches as a result - boom! I went for a coral and grey large round and geometric beaded double necklace from Fox and Finn (see pic above) and a long mint green, cream and grey number with different sized and shaped beads from Mama and Little. This is mum fashion I totally approve of, and I have already ordered more as gifts for my mum-to-be mates, as I would've loved to receive a useful and gorgeous gift like this for mum, as well as something for the baby. 

* Speaking of jewellery, I won a competition on FB for a super cute Baby J's Baltic Amber anklet! The last thing I won was a Super`Gran VHS - remember that TV series from back in the early 90's? bloody brilliant - so am very excited about this. Amber is supposedly good for teething babies as the heat from the skin releases soothing oils that have a calming effect on them. Or something like that! The anklet is supposed to be worn under clothes, and I know some mums who swear by them and say they really helped with teething, so we will give it a go with Padster and see if it helps soothe him when he starts properly teething. Will report back!

2. Stop sticking pins in my son!

Pads had his 2nd round of jabs on Wednesday and he was not happy about them bless him. He had the 2nd rotavirus oral solution first and had such an unimpressed expression on his face as the lady administered it to him via a mouth dropper. He kept looking at me as if to say 'this is not milk! Why are you giving me this?!', but after a few dribbles over both of us he gave me a big smile though so that was ok. I managed to get the sticky stuff all over my hands however,  in an attempt to wipe it from his chin and stop it running all over his clothes, which was apparently a no-no and I got a ticking off from the health visitor and told to wash my hands immediately or I'd be on the loo all week. Oops. Am so used to getting my hands stuck in to wipe up anything these days - dribble, vom, poop etc.. - I didn't think that I was handling a live vaccine.  * Top tip for babies first jabs that I wish I had done: put a bib on your baby before they get their jabs, then you can take it off when its covered in the sticky vaccine and wash it separately so as not to spread the vaccine around.

Then came the big 5 jab and the meningitis c jab, he cried real tears for both and let out big cries of shock and pain and his little face went the colour of beetroot love him. Not nice for a little baby to go through but that's it for another month now and better to be protected than not. 

Then followed a day of lots of feeds, sleeping on me and extra cwtches. He kept waking up and whimpering for a few seconds, before going back to sleep after I stroked his head and told him everything was OK, possibly because of an upset tummy with all those nasty vaccinations swirling around him and maybe also because his legs were sore from the jabs, and he was a bit fussier/sloppier when feeding too with so much going on in his system, and kept falling asleep easily at the boob. 

I just hugged him all day and wanted to make everything as calm, safe and full of love for him as possible. I definitely felt very 'mama bear' protector towards my little bear cub.  

3. Jon is back for good- farewell London you have served us well. 

So that's it. Jon has finished working in London in the weeks and our little family is finally all back together! Hooray!

He starts his new job in Bristol in a week which will be a bit of a commute still but at least he will be home every evening and with us throughout the nights for moral (albeit snoring and asleep) support! 

It feels very final that our London lives are now over. We had a blast living there for about a decade and there are things I do definitely miss about the great city (eating out and being all over the latest restaurant openings mainly, as well as the flower markets and the London skyline at night and early in the morning, and our fab friends who still live there of course) but there are a lot of things I do not miss as well (the tube, too many people rushing around, the cost of everything, the dirty pigeons and how it always takes an hour to get anywhere!). 

London you were brilliant and we will be back often to visit you and our lovely London based friends, but now we officially begin our new Welsh chapter together with earnest. 

4. Head-holding 'hench'man. 

We did some tummy time at our Daisy Foundation Tinies class this week and Pads aced his head holding skills. He pushed his head and neck up to look around at all the other babies in a sort of mini push-up style, with no problem at all and made me feel very proud, as the other babies were all struggling a bit to raise their heads for more than a second or two at a time. I think the biological feeding position has definitely helped him have to learn to support his own head weight and he has always been very strong in his neck. (I am pretty sure he was also showing off a bit as he was next to a lovely lady baby who he kept staring at in class, so he was probably just showing her how hench he is! ;)

5. Where did all that lovely sleep go!?!! 

We had been enjoying a sort of routine that Pads had slipped into when it came to night time sleep: falling asleep between 8-10pm for a 5-7 hour block then up for a feed around 2-4am, depending on when he had fallen asleep in the first place, and then sometimes, but not always, up again around 5am for another feed. He was sleeping pretty well at night I thought and I was getting used to this as our system and found it very manageable as long as I went to sleep when he did as much as possible. Then suddenly this week it's all gone to pot and he's thrown away his lovely sleep pattern! 

It started with him falling asleep at 5.45pm one day, before I'd had my tea or gone to pick his dad up from working on the cottage so I couldn't go to sleep with him, this then meant he was awake and alert at midnight, so I fed him and he went off for another 50 minutes sleep and then kept waking up and needing a feed or settling back to sleep, for every 50 minutes after that until morning. He wasn't self soothing back to sleep as he has been and feeds weren't making him sleep for long blocks as they usually do. 

Needless to say with this lack of sleep throughout the night, the next day he was super grizzly (as was I, as I am now out of practice for this stop start sleep pattern!), and he was sick a lot after his day feeds during his winding sessions which is not like him, so I do wonder if he was a bit under the weather perhaps or teething, causing the interrupted sleep pattern? (This was all before his jabs so not related to them).

The next night he went to sleep around 8pm so I thought we might be back to our former glory, but then he kept waking again for a total of 4 feeds throughout the night and at 4am he was awake gurgling, playfully shrieking, staring at the ceiling in wonder and stretching, and generally not looking like someone who was going to go back to sleep anytime soon. And he didn't. (Though he kept yawning which was annoying!). I've heard about the 4 month sleep regression but surely not the 3 and a bit month regression?! Keeping me on my toes again Padster.

After his jabs, he was even worse, not sleeping for longer than 2-3 hour blocks at night and then having really long and fussy feeds and needing a LOT more winding afterwards (he is a right little trumpet at the moment too!), and then just being awake and a bit grizzly in the wee small hours.  I am getting to see that 2am -5.30am window far too frequently again, like in the very early days. I miss our sleep - come back!

6. TMI but...Kid and play, remember them? 

You know, the name I gave my little back door buddies as inspired my the lovely Lindsey?!!? (Sorry for those with a delicate disposition but these things need to be talked about!) Well they started to ease up and I thought they were on their way to being gone, then bam! This week the piles are back with a vengeance. This is cruel. It could be down to me having too much fibre, white bread, berries and potatoes in my diet apparently, as this is what I had upped my intake of to help with the situation initially, but now I suspect they may be prolonging the problem. Also it could be due to me still not drinking enough fluids in the day, I am trying to honestly!, and not getting enough exercise.  So now I am going to get physical starting with more buggy workouts on our walks and some baby-wearing yoga at home.  Let's hope these changes will help, as this cannot go on! 

7. The double live poop show! 

I thought last week's live poo incident was funny enough (and a one off!), well this week he upped his game. After generously filling his nappy with poop, I started cleaning him up as usual, only for him to do another live poo onto my waiting water wipe and a couple of cotton pads I had managed to grab as soon as I saw what was happening. I had it all under control and felt very smug to have contained it all without it going everywhere. I turned to pop the soiled bits and pieces in the bin and turned back to find him doing another live poo onto the changing mat (perhaps it's the fresh air and freedom of having his bits out that make him so relaxed?!!) that was beginning to spread out towards his clothes and the towel underneath his torso! I grabbed more cotton pads and tried my best to get what I could on them but this was a big load and it spilled off onto the t-shirt he was wearing and onto the towel. Dammit! Once again Pads had a cheeky look of relief and amusement on his face, as if he had done this on purpose to test my skills of speed and dexterity. We did have to have an outfit change, but all in all, I think I handled a sticky situation very well.  I am pleased that this week's, and last week's, poop shows have happened at home so far though, please don't do this at a baby class Pads!

2 days after his jabs we had the most explosive, and impressive, poo-nami incident yet.  It was around 5am and we had just had our early morning feed and I was stood up winding him in the dark, when he did a loud fart that smelt pretty pongy. I didn't feel any wet come through but thought I'd check his nappy just in case as the smell was something else.  Lucky I did, as I discovered poo all the way up his back as far as his neck of all places - how it can travel that far I do not know! It was all over him and his sleepy suit, and very little actually in the nappy itself! Typical. I did however marvel at the lovely yellow shade of the poo though! I did make me think it may be time to go up a nappy size finally as I don't think the size 1's are containing his loads anymore, though they still fit his waist and thighs!

8. Our Welsh castles challenge.

It came to my attention in the first few weeks of having Paddington that he had experienced a fair few outings at the glorious castles and historical buildings South Wales has to offer within his first fortnight, as I found them pleasant places to take him for some fresh air that weren't too crowded if I needed to breastfeed/he started crying etc (interestingly, he has never cried at a Welsh castle - yet!), so I have decided to set us a random challenge to take him to as many castles in and around our area (so Monmouthshire, Powys and Glamorgan), and the odd other historical building of interest!, as possible before he is 6 months old.  For no real reason other than they are lovely places to visit and I may as well make the most of my mat leave and get further out and about. 

This was inspired by a visit this week to Caldicot castle, a place I spent a lot of time in my youth visiting my Nan (not at the castle, she wasn't a Princess or anything - well, she was to me!), where we had a lovely walk and a couple of feeds in the car overlooking the turrets. 

So far he has been to White Castle, Raglan Castle, Abergavenny Castle, Skenfrith Castle, Caldicot Castle and Llantony Priory. So we need to fit in Cardiff Castle, Usk Castle, Monmouth Castle, Brecon Castle, Tretower Castle, Crickhowell Castle, Caerphilly Castle and Tintern Abbey I reckon to complete our random set! (Have I missed any?!)

Maternity leave is a wonderful thing and feeling like a happy tourist in your own backyard is great fun. I look forward to showing Pads the pics of his early explorations when he is older.

9. Social baby. 

We accompanied Grandma T to the local village hall coffee morning and Pads became the star of the show. As soon as we entered, we had a gaggle of ladies, of a certain age, queuing up to coo and aah over my little boy, and before I knew it, he was being passed around a circle of grandmothers and was giving them all gorgeous wide smiles and little gurgles. He knows how to work a crowd, and he is very good with the ladies already!

It was a full-on experience to meet so many new people at once, even for me!, and to have so many new faces staring into his, but he handled it brilliantly and was such a happy, sociable baby. 

After a good half an hour of being cuddled and cooed at by strangers however, he did let me know he had had enough and went to grizzly town, but only for a couple of minutes before zonking out into a deep, peaceful sleep in my arms for almost 2 hours bless him! Exhausting stuff working a room! I didn't have a carrier or buggy with me as had only planned to pop in with him so say hi, so we ended up going for a fresh, country walk with him all bundled up in his cute new fleecey duffle coat with me carrying him in my arms as I didn't want to wake him. He is heavier than he looks over a long period so I definitely felt the workout in my arms and back the next day - note to self, always take something to carry your baby in if you pop out as carrying him for hours in your arms is hard work! 

10. Mouthing off. 

Pads and I have a new fun game that probably makes me look like I have finally lost it when we do it out in public, but who cares?! He loves to watch my mouth and attempt to imitate, or to just delight in, the funny expressions I'm pulling. He loves a raspberry blown at him (a classic), or when I make fish faces and noises at him, another fav to watch is my vibrating lips, or just general gurning (I am an excellent gurner, even if I do say so myself and wondered when this skill would come in to its own), and his ultimate fav, watching me eat and chew exaggeratedly. It feels great to make him gurgle and smile with glee with such a simple thing as moving my mouth in different ways, and he just loves it. It pays to have a funny face after all!

                                                     ***

Unlucky for some, week 13 has been a good one generally, though I will be very pleased when he has his last jabs for a while in a month's time (after that he doesn't have to have any more until he is a year old, woohoo!), as they really put him out of sorts and mess with our little routine.  

Pads is a real character now; chatty, lively, happy and so much fun to be around, and its so lovely to see him interact happily with other people, am hoping he keeps that up as its a great skill to have.  Paddington, you, my son, are awesome.  Keep up the good work!