Weight: I'm not sure as he hasn't been weighed this month. I did try and weigh him on our scales today which said 10 kg (22 lb) but I really don't think he's put on that much in the last few weeks so I'm going to get him properly weighed next week.
Health: We've had a rough month! He ended up with a really nasty cold that caused temperatures of 39-40.2 degrees for 5 or 6 days. He was full of snot and had about 3 or 4 days where his nose was just dripping blood, he was sneezing blood and was super miserable. I've never seen him so poorly, even when he had bronchiolitis. We didn't see any medical professionals and managed him at home but he basically just sat/lay on our laps for a week straight. He had about a week where he was better, then another temperature for a day, then a few days better and now he has yet another cold/cough, although considerably milder. It's a never-ending stream!
Sleep: We've had a really bad couple of weeks with sleep, especially since he was poorly. His naps are still pretty good but night times have been constant feeding sessions and very early mornings. In the last few nights we've ditched the sleeping bag, ALS has come back to sleeping with us (after a lot of time downstairs) and I've started breastfeeding him before bed instead of giving him a bottle of almond milk as we thought he might have been taking in too much air. It did help for a couple of nights and he actually had one solid stretch of sleep from 9-1:30 one night which was amazing - although I was poorly so didn't get to reap the benefits so much. However, he's now coughing every time he lies down so last night was horrendous again. Our Sleep Consultant has recommended we see a cranial osteopath as it's not normal that he wakes up often every 20 minutes and needs to breastfeed all night long so we are booked in for 29 March, here's hoping they can help! I'm skeptical but at this point in time we are willing to try anything!
Development: His communication is really coming along, he still doesn't stay much but lately he's been trying to repeat words - the day before his Key Worker left nursery we were talking about her (Freya) and he kept saying "Eya", he's tried to say things like "tower", "juice", "Lola" and other bits and bobs although it's very unclear at the moment. He's started properly saying "no" now and is very good at using "yeah" and "no" in context. He has multiple signs (milk, eat, please, thank you, see you soon, more) and will actually put two together, usually to ask for "more food". He's pointing with his index finger and really indicating his needs - he even tells us when he wants to go to bed, although whether he sleeps or not is a different question. He helps with dressing and undressing and is great at following simple instructions. He's brilliant on his feet now although a little uncertain on grass and prefers to run on concrete to try and give me a heart attack! At swimming he'll dip his face in, splash, kick and try to blow bubbles. He's not much of a climber but has started, in the last couple of days, trying to climb onto the sofa - he's not really tall enough yet but I don't think it'll be long. He builds towers with lots of interconnecting blocks (sometimes 10+), is doing really well with shape sorters and has learned how to use Pritt Stick at nursery. He can point to multiple body parts (toes, tummy, head and mouth) and can identify lots of items when asked to fetch them (pyjamas, socks, ball, various animal toys, blocks, shoes, books, wipes etc.). He can walk forwards and backwards and dances to music. He's lost interest in sitting on his potty so we aren't pushing it, as he doesn't seem aware of when he has dirtied his nappy let alone when he needs to and that's absolutely fine, he's still very young. He's trying to use a spoon and fork, sometimes successful - especially the fork (although getting him to eat what's on it is more of a challenge). He's trying to walk down the stairs and protests if we try and get him to go down on his bottom!
Likes/Dislikes: His favourite foods at the moment are sausage rolls and pasta in homemade tomato sauce (with whatever meat or veg I throw into it). He likes to refuse pretty much everything else on most occasions but at least I can just vary the contents of the pasta and get a reasonable diet into him. He loves music in any form and nursery rhymes especially loves Row, Row, Row Your Boat (he'll grab your hands and row, then scream). He loves looking at books still, long may it continue. He really likes being outside although tends to want to run into the road and has a good tantrum if he can't. He really likes dogs and is especially happy if kind passers-by let him stroke their dogs. He's getting more and more fiercely independent by the day and doesn't like being helped if he doesn't want to be. Nor does he like being told that he can't do something, no matter how dangerous that thing might be. He still loves his boob and it's going to be a real battle weaning him in a couple of months' time.
Nursery: He's done so well at nursery and they now even manage to get him to sleep on his bed on the floor on days where he has a nap. His Key Worker left last week which we are devastated about at she was the one who really settled him in, they had a great bond, he'd started saying her name and she understands Makaton signing. However, he's happy enough without her there and the others do a good job with him. It's definitely doing wonders for his development and they do so many craft activities I don't feel guilty for not having them at home haha.
Me: I'm battling a string of illnesses that he kindly keeps picking up and sharing with me. I'm generally knackered and weak and could really do with some decent exercise. Sadly, ever time I start to get back to exercising I end up ill and lose my stride. I don't get time to go to the gym around ALS' working hours except at weekends, but then we are usually taking OJ somewhere or visiting family so even then I struggle to fit it in and I'm not motivated to work out at home. I'm not eating well because I don't get chance to meal plan or cook what I've planned and I spend so much time making stuff for OJ (that he often doesn't eat, or I don't like myself) that I end up with a sandwich or something and then snack which isn't ideal. I keep trying to get back into good routines but to no avail!
We are starting to think about wanting to get trying for another (when OJ is around 2) so we need to get him weaned and get my periods back. Hopefully if the osteopath can help with the sleep a bit it will make weaning easier but ideally I'd like to be weaning around 18 months etc.
