Three Years On....

Sitting on the laptop clearing my e-mails and thought I wonder if I can still find the Blog that I wrote when on maternity leave!

Really lovely looking back and reading some of my thoughts and ramblings.
Brody is now 3 years old and doing new things every day, it is lovely to watch him discover and learn all about his world around him through play and his interactions with others. Balancing this with managing his frustrations and tantrums can be challenging at times but we are getting there. Every day I remind myself that I am the adult and it is important that we help him through this.

The things that make him happy are playing with play doh, scooby doo toys and especially listening to music. He has spent the past week carrying around the Ipod with his own playlist which includes Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and some other tracks that he especially likes. He will sing along to the songs with his pretend mic, which is really a torch that doesn't work and asks us all to dance with him while he shows us his "moves". He won star dancer at his dance class at the weekend and we try to encourage anything that he shows an interest in.

He also loves the characters from the film Frozen and in particular Elsa, for his birthday he asked for an Elsa doll, play-doh and scooby doo. So his big sister bought him one and he proudly carries her around.

He dressed up as batman for Halloween and when trick or treating his joke was " Why wouldn't you give Elsa a balloon, because she would let it go"

Really can't believe time has passed so quickly and I am going to try and make a real effort to start writing on this blog again. I might need to rename this as Brody is no longer a baby but a happy, healthy growing toddler and I thank my lucky stars every day for this blessing.

Learning to walk before we can fly :)

I am really amazed that it has been six months since I posted my last blog.

I did think a few times that I really should write one or Brody would do something new and I thought, oh I need to blog about that or at least have a look and see what other mums are saying about teething, crawling, weaning, dealing with a poorly baby, bedtime routines etc..

One of my friends even asked me why I hadn't written one in ages (she might be the only person that ever read them thou) and I am not really sure why. I think it must be due to the fact that I seem to have even less time to myself now, with Brody being 11 months he is on the go all day and I am so tired at night. He is also an early riser and for the past few months has been getting up at 5.30- 6.00am. He might sleep a bit later when the mornings get darker and I will need to try and rest with him during the day when I am back working evening shifts. Otherwise I will be a few hours into my shift and looking for my bed.
I have been off my work for just over a year and the time has flown by so quickly, people said to me that it would and I just thought oh yeah. But crickey they were right and as I sit in my last week off I am feeling excited, happy, anxious and sad all at the same time. If only I could stop, pause and rewind some of the time then again I would also like to fast forward the sleepless nights, but Brody might be three years old and I would have missed some special times. So I suppose life is a journey and we are both reaching a new chapter with me returning to work and Brody starting nursery.

I have posted a photo of Brody and his Daddy and Brody has his superman t-shirt on and it looks like he wants to fly. It made me think that he really has to learn to walk before he can fly lol. He looks a bit serious in the photo with the brow down and petted lip. This is his serious face or not amused face and he takes this from his Daddy of course ha ha.

People are always asking is he walking yet? This isn't a bad thing but we are always rushing to each new milestone and now I want to slow down a bit.
He is nearly there and might walk before he is a year, he has started standing on his own and walks along all the furniture. Sometimes it even looks like he is running along the couch as he gets excited when he sees something he wants that might be a bit out of reach. He seems to be growing so quickly now and each day is a new adventure. You can see this in his wee face and the way he reacts to new things and experience's.

During his nursery induction I had to complete a form about Brody and his likes and dislikes, there was a bit that asked what makes him happy, sad or frightened and I could think of loads of things that make him happy but nothing for sad or frightened. I suppose the only thing would be loud sudden noises and he doesn't like the noise from the hairdryer. But I left those bits blank and now I realise that as he is becoming more aware, he is also developing emotionally and his wee sad face, outstretched arms, tears and snotty nose as I leave him for his induction at nursery really tug at the heart strings. As I write this I am in the parents room and after half an hour they haven't come to get me, so he must be ok. Each time he spends will get easier  and we will both need to take each new step in this next chapter together. A few weeks back at work and we will both be used to the changes, new routines and be flying along :)

Brody Planking- only left him for 10 seconds to pop into kitchen. Think he couldn't decide which toy to choose from the box!!

My Two Boys xx

A fortnight of firsts

Over the past two weeks Brody has been developing quickly and it is lovely to watch all the new things that he is doing. He is now five and a half months and is doing really well. He is such a happy contented wee soul and can have the odd gurn. Last week he cried on and off for three hours at night but the next day two wee teeth were visible and are slowly popping up. He is dribbling all the time and rubbing his gums so maybe some top teeth are now working their way through.
He is doing well with weaning and although he is not six months he has tried various puréed vegetables and fruit. His favourites seem to be sweet potatoe mixed with carrot and he also likes apple. He becomes quite animated when he sees his wee food bowl and will giggle and smile with a big opened mouth waiting on each spoonful. It is also funny when he grabs the spoon and sucks away on it. I discovered in Asda a small holder that you can place fresh fruit in the net and he happily sucks away on this with melon or mango in it. He is also managing well with a cup and appears to like to be independent. I did think he was a bit young for a cup but he kept trying to take his bottle himself so i thought he might manage it.
The other morning I found him lying head first at the bottom of his cot and he had turned himself all the way around from a feet first position. Since then he seems to have realised that he can roll over and over and move around. This is usually accompanied by some cute grunting and panting and is hard work for him but he persists with it. He is also managing to sit longer without collapsing in a forward heap and will play more intently with his toys.

So as you can see this has all really come together over the past two weeks and I feel really lucky to be able to share all this with him and I am enjoying watching him discover his little world :) I didn't have the opportunity to have as much time off work with my daughter and I am going to enjoy the next six months. Money might be tight now that my half pay is coming to an end but no money in the world could buy this precious time that we have.
I am also amazed by the things that go on locally for mothers and babies, between free swimming, story time at the local library, baby sensory and Joe Jingles music sessions we are really kept going.
I also feel that getting to six months is a great milestone and the really small (sometimes anxious) baby stage is passing with a happy, smiley, inquisitive wee baby boy developing and growing. I can't wait to see what his little personality will be or to hear what his wee voice sounds like :) but I just hope that I saviour it all as it passes so quickly.

We are having a blast anyway :) :) :)

Maternity leave blues .....

Started this week feeling a bit fed up with my daily routine, that I have fallen into, since being on maternity leave and was a bit crabbit with my partner on Monday when he went to work. I had been up since 5.30 and was ironing and trying to settle Brody at 7 am so as you can maybe imagine by the time he came down the stairs my face was tripping me :(

Now I might sound a bit ungrateful as I know that this time last year I was desperate to have a lovely healthy baby and the thought of a year off my work seemed like a lottery win. But it does feel strange to have gone from working full time with a responsible job that sometimes kept me awake at night, worrying about stuff, to spending all day everyday with a baby. I think I have fallen into the common trap of not opening my eyes and seeing fully what I have and fussing about housework, making dinners etc rather than just chilling and appreciating my time with Brody. Also by trying to get Brody into a routine I have become grounded in a routine myself. My partner asked me what I do each day and I have certain things planned for each day such as housework, changing beds, hoovering, walking etc. I was never like that before and think I need to remember that the housework can wait. On Monday my partner said he had been googling and thinks I have Maternity Leave Blues!!!
Crickey there really is a label for everything nowadays, if my gran was still alive she would be telling me to pull my socks up, stop moaning and enjoy what I have.
So in saying that I have had a lovely day today and done no housework, instead I have been for a long walk with a friend whose baby is four weeks older than Brody, we had a wee lunch, a glass of red wine and a blether. I have the sensory class tomorrow so another chance for a blether and Brody seems to enjoy it too :)

Fighting Sleep

Why do babies fight their sleep?

Brody can be really happy all day and the only time he gets cranky is when he is tired and he will moan and gurn for ages. Sometimes this can last for up to an hour and I try to recognise when he is tired, he usually starts rubbing his eyes and moaning. I will give him his little teddy that he likes to suck on and he will rub this against his face, when trying to go to sleep. But sometimes he will continue to fight it and no amount of cuddling or rocking will help. I had a look on the Internet and there is info about trying to get your little one into the same routine of taking naps during the day. I have tried this and have put him in his crib during the day if we are not out in the pram or car and he will eventually go to sleep after a wee gurn and moan. But this morning for example he has been up since 5.30 am and wouldn't go back to sleep ( which I think well fair enough since he has slept from 8pm) but after 30 minutes downstairs he is moaning and gurning and restless. Nearly two hours later and I have given him cuddles, his teddy , had him in his bouncy chair, lying on the floor, tried teething gel, some Ashton & Parsons powder, some classical musical lol and he is still gurning and moaning away. Now we are sitting together watching Mickey Mouse clubhouse through his gurning and moaning which has become quieter and he has finally begun to settle and sleep at long last!!!!
Think I will now make a cuppa and do some Internet searching about this and see if I can find out any tips to help. No point carrying on watching Mickey's clubhouse although the song at the end is really catchy- "hot dog hot dog hot diggery dog " :)
Any suggestions or comments would be really appreciated thanks

Growing Bundle of Joy

Brody is now too big for his carry cot so has  advanced to his pushchair. It's funny taking him out when he can see the big wide world. He just stares and looks around taking it all in. I tend to chat away to him while we are walking explaining what things are and laughing with him :) Some people must think I am a bit loopy (think I am maybe not spending enough time with other adults lol) It's great having a pushchair that faces you as its lovely to interact with him. Must seem a bit of a big scary world to a baby.

He has had his four month check up by the Health Visitor and is at the 97th point on the chart for his length and the 75th point for his weight so a long lean boy she says :). He seems more hungry now and he is nearly 21 weeks. I have started giving him some baby rice once a day as well as using the hungry Aptamil milk for two of his feeds and hopefully this will keep him satisfied until he is a bit older. They say that weaning should start at 6 months but some mums tell me that they have also found this difficult. There is plenty of info about weaning so if we just take our time I think he will be fine. It's not like I am giving him mince and tatties !!!!! He is enjoying his baby rice as he takes the spoon from me and sucks away on it with a wee gurn when it's all finished. Think we will advance onto some puréed carrot in a week or so.

So much joy but completely shattered

Think Brody must be teething and feeling his gums sore- poor wee soul. Up during the night for a bit and needing a few cuddles to soothe him. Not such a happy chappy today :( Yesterday i said that he brings so much joy and he does but I am so tired. Daddy says that i am always saying i am tired so maybe i should just tell him when i am not lol. Charming i thought !!! But he meant it in a jokey way and we did have a laugh about it ;) Think i will start taking multi vitamins and have got some Ashton & Parsons teething powder and seemingly this works wonders :)