Journey to a Family: Baby Update

Age: 20 weeks

Weight: He's due to be weighed again next Tuesday at 20+5 weeks.

Feeding: I'm back on dairy and things haven't changed much - he's been choking on his feeds a lot this week but I think that's because he's congested. There's been a bit more vomiting over the last couple of days and his dry skin seems to be less responsive to the Oilatum, but that may just be me looking for things and could just be coincidence.

Sleep: Between his blocked nose and our disastrous weekend away sleep has been far from great this week. He's been a little bit better the last couple of nights and I'm hitting the bedtime routine hard but we'll have to wait and see... he immediately gets really fidgety and reflux-y when laid down on his back, rolls onto his side, starts to fall asleep then rolls back on to his back and the process starts again. The only time he goes down straight away is if he's virtually asleep in my arms when I put him down, otherwise it can take over half an hour and he seems very uncomfortable.

Routine: We're trying our best but honestly I find it much easier to just follow his lead - I don't want him so stuck in a routine that we can't stay out in an evening with him and his sleep during the day is very disjointed because of us being out and about - sometimes he sleeps on the go, other times he sleeps at home. He doesn't have regular nap times so I'm following his lead at night. I'm starting his bath/bed routine at no later than 19:45 but if he's showing signs of being tired, like he was last night, I start it earlier, but no earlier than 19:00.

Likes/dislikes: He's absolutely obsessed with his feet and has learnt to take his socks off. He doesn't like not having access to his toes so he gets frustrated when he's in a sleepsuit! He's starting to really enjoy story time - today we read The Gruffalo and he was focused on the book and pictures the whole time without getting bored, whereas previously we've only been reading very short, mostly picture oriented books. He's still often inconsolable in the car (as demonstrated during our weekend from hell) but we are also getting some giggles in there so hopefully he's starting to get used to it.

Firsts: He had his first weekend away with mummy and daddy, albeit a nightmare of a weekend. He's been managing to sit up by himself for about 5 seconds before he wobbles over to the side too. He may have had his first taste of cake after grabbing a giant handful of ALS' muffin and smashing it into his face too - oops, bad parents!

Milestones: Starting to really get the hang of sitting up. He's also leaning over and reaching out for toys that aren't quite within his grasp and grabbing at absolutely everything! He's grown out of his first wetsuit too, so we've bought him one in the next size!

Things we did: We had our weekend away which consisted of a lot of driving, a lot of snow, a big dinner, an even bigger breakfast and not much sleep! We had his swimming lesson and found out that his little friend, who is due to move up to the next class in a couple of weeks, is going to stay and move up at the same time as him because otherwise that would leave him in the class alone (it's so nice having a little class of 2). Yesterday ALS' best man came for a visit whilst on leave from the Navy so we spent some time with him and then I took OJ to the park with my aunty and uncle, who are childminders, and the children they look after. He loved watching them all playing with bubbles and having storytime!

Me: I'm now a week into having a cold, which is annoying, but it's relatively mild. I'm congested and snuffly but I don't feel really poorly and by the evening it's usually okay, then comes back in the morning when I've been lay down all night. I'm battling in my head over whether to go back to work or not but I've decided not to even try to make the decision - we are in a position where we can afford for me to stay at home and it may be more economical too. However, I have to go back for at least 3 months to keep my maternity pay so I'm going to do a couple of months, see how I feel and then make the decision. I love my job and a second income would be really helpful, plus adult time would be good for me BUT I desperately don't want to leave OJ and I have a feeling it would make me very miserable. As I'm going to have to do it for 3 months anyway a lot will depend on how we both cope with the separation!

19 weeks 1 day - fast asleep in his new pushchair attachment after a walk.

19 weeks 2 days - feeling under the weather with the sniffles.

19 weeks 2 days - "This bed is great but where are you and daddy going to sleep?"

19 weeks 2 days - using the travel cot for the first time.

19 weeks 2 days - at around midnight after only an hour in the travel cot (yes, he ended up in our bed for the rest of the night once he'd settled down), I'd be lost at home without the co-sleeper because having to get up and down to the travel cot was a pain in the ass!