Baby Update - 24 weeks

Age:  24 weeks (except I'm posting a day late because I was too ill yesterday... and this is the second time I've typed it up because I did it this morning and it didn't save for some reason)

Weight: He is due to be weighed in a few days time so I'll update next week.

Health: He's had a nasty cough and cold this week, which he's kindly shared with me.  He's still been pretty chirpy but it's taken its toll on him a little!  It's hard to tell how his reflux is because he's coughing and vomiting so much anyway.

Feeding: He's getting much quicker at feeding now and all feeds tend to be under 10 minutes unless he's sleepy.  He's also really easily distracted.  He feeds 2 hourly most of the time but he usually goes for 4 hours in a morning - he'll feed around 6 am, sleep for a couple of hours then wake up and play until around 10 am, which is nice for letting me have a lie in when daddy's around to get up with him!

Sleep: Sleep hasn't been great but that's to be expected with him being all congested and coughing a lot.  However, the night before last he did go from 8:30 pm until 1:30 am which is the longest stretch we've had in a LONG time, I thought my boobs were going to explode!  When he naps in the day he regularly does this weird whining/crying thing in his sleep (it occasionally wakes him up) but never at night, it's really odd.

Routine: Nope... that's all I have to say about that!

Likes/dislikes:  He's absolutely loving swimming at the moment, we even got a smile after a submersion the other day for the first time.  He's really enjoying crinkly toys too and loves to chew on a spoon (or two).  He's really not a fan of being still, in fact I don't think he is EVER still.

Firsts:  First nasty cold, first time out in the sunshine without having to be bundled in warm clothes and blankets!

Milestones: He's really coming along with his sitting and can sit for a good 20 minutes or so, or until he sees something he wants that is out of reach and throws himself towards it!  He's also transferring objects (he has been for a few weeks but I keep forgetting) between hands and has learned to shake his rattles rather than just chewing on them.  He's so close to rolling back to front too - he can basically do it but when he realises he's on his front, rather than pulling his arm from under him he just rolls himself back over, which isn't surprising considering if we put him on his tummy he just rolls straight over.  He tends to be happiest on his side!

Things we did: We had a relatively quiet weekend, OJ spent lots of time with daddy whilst I prepared a load of purees for weaning.  However, I have decided I'd rather do baby led weaning so I'll probably end up using most of the purees in porridge etc. or just giving him the spoon and letting him go to town by himself.  For the last few days we've not really done much as we've both been poorly but we've had a couple of nice sunny walks and today we've cracked down on reorganising our living room and moving all the furniture into better positions so that OJ has more floor space.

Me: I'm absolutely full of cold and exhausted from both of us being poorly.  As OJ won't take a bottle and has been comfort feeding through his cold I'm having trouble fighting off my own cold.  ALS is amazing and takes as much of the pressure off as he can but unfortunately he doesn't have breasts!

23 weeks 1 day - still a bit too small for his 3-6 month outfit from his aunty in Australia but he's rocking the Simon Cowell look, don't you think?

23 weeks 1 day - he loves Lucozade bottles so I've made him some shakers, including the one between his legs, but he still insists on taking the one I'm drinking from!

23 weeks 1 day - happily munching on a spoon whilst mummy gets ready for weaning - he's a few weeks off starting yet but I like to be prepared.

23 weeks 2 days - loves a good selfie.

23 weeks 3 days - wakes up, goes for a snuggle with daddy, steals his phone... standard Sunday morning.

23 weeks 3 days - poorly boy snuggling my boob after lots of coughing fits and some milk to make it better.

23 weeks 4 days - 4 am wake up call with lots of coughing and sneezing, poor little mite.

23 weeks 4 days - fast asleep again by 7 am after lots of milk and snuggles.

23 weeks 5 days - sitting up like a pro!

23 weeks 5 days - isn't he just the cutest?!

23 weeks 5 days - he was ignoring his toys and trying to eat my foot but caught me when I tried to take a photo... I think his face says it all!

23 weeks 6 days - in his first summer outfit looking smiley because he learned how to share (his cold) and then looking thoughtful because I told him he didn't need to share everything and I didn't really want it - I jest, he was trying to figure out an answer on The Chase haha!

23 weeks 6 days - is this how baby led weaning works? (Disclaimer:  We haven't started weaning early or given him a whole packet of snacks, the packet wasn't open but he loves playing with anything that crinkles).

24 weeks - another 4 am start but with daddy this time, lucky daddy had him back asleep in half an hour and he was still like this when I got up at 8 am.

24 weeks - impromptu trip out in his little sunhat (cue me panicking because he would be too hot in the footmuff but I didn't have anything else to cover him with and I had nothing to shade his face... I was much more prepared later on when we went out again).

I'm a big advocate of home cooked food for babies but there will be times where we are in a pinch and need something practical (such as at competitions) so we've stocked up on these goodies for special occasions.  How awesome are the Ella's Kitchen pouches with the attachable spoons?  OJ should be able to have a good go at feeding himself with those too!  Also, we are low on storage space in the kitchen and need to reorganise so for now we are using an empty cat food box to store all his bits and bobs... whatever works, right?

Baby Update - 23 weeks

Age:  23 weeks

Weight: He ended up being weighed in A&E on Saturday night at 22+2 and was 6.36 kg (14 lb) so he's finally hit a stone and had put half a pound on in just under 2 weeks!  It's great to know that even whilst I've been on dairy he's continued his weight gain.

Health: I'm adding this as a new section because we keep running into problems and this is the easiest place for me to keep an accurate record of what's going on.  Last Friday our GP increased his ranitidine to the maximum dose for his weight and asked us to give it a week to see how he got on.  Unfortunately on Saturday night he has a really nasty choking episode, completely unprovoked, and ended up struggling with his breathing.  We called 111 who sent us to A&E - I cannot praise them enough as we were seen and dealt with in under 2 hours thanks to a dedicated Children's A&E at our local hospital.  They added Gaviscon in alongside his ranitidine and asked me to give it a few days to see the effect then come off dairy again.  Unfortunately we can't get him to take the Gaviscon so the GP advised us to leave it and just wait for the hospital appointment next month.  He's been super uncomfortable for about an hour before pooping and pooping every couple of hours, his skin has really flared up with the eczema spreading and he's congested, coughing and generally unhappy.  He's really uncomfortable on his back now too, to the point where even changing his nappy is hard because he's writhing around and gagging.  This seems to have coincided with an increase in my dairy intake over Easter so hopefully now I'm off dairy again (as of tomorrow) he will feel better.  Roll on 15th May because I'm sick of seeing him suffering all the time and we seem to be getting nowhere - I feel like the GP isn't taking me seriously because he is always happy when we see her - typical!

Feeding: He's coughing a lot during feeding and still wanting to feed very regularly, especially at night.  He definitely feeds for comfort too so hopefully when his reflux is better he won't need to feed so often.  He seems to really be ready for weaning so I'm excited to get started - for now I'm giving him a sippy cup with a little water in and a spoon to play with in his highchair whilst I eat my dinner - he ends up soaked but he really enjoys it!

Sleep: Sleep is shocking - he's rarely going more than 2 hours and by 3 am he's awake every hour.  Even if I put him in our bed he is fidgety and uncomfortable so neither of us sleep well.  He's waking up coughing or being sick at night, he's congested and snoring and just generally unsettled.  However, I have been getting him to nap longer than 30 minutes in the day by gently rousing him a little after 25 minutes to interrupt his sleep cycle and get him into a deeper sleep - a tip I picked up from the IVF/mummy community on Instagram!

Routine: Mostly just trying to get through the days/nights without losing my mind and counting the minutes til daddy comes home so we can parent together.  I often can't wait for daddy to take over so I can have a bath but in half an hour I'm missing my baby and head back, it's just nice to have the adult company too.

Likes/dislikes:  He's turning into a proper gigglebum and loves simple things like you blowing gently on his face, the anticipation is hilarious to him too!  He's hating nappy changes at the moment because he's so uncomfortable and obviously doesn't understand that the more he wriggles the longer it takes.

Firsts:  First time going to a playcentre and trying a Jumperoo - they aren't good for baby's walking development if you use them a lot but a few minutes on an odd occasion is fun.  First A&E trip which is a big one!

Milestones: He's finally moved into 3-6 month clothes in the last few days - although they're still a bit big! It's always great putting him in new cute outfits for the first time.

Things we did: We had a productive weekend doing stuff around the house and seeing some friends with their kids at a soft play centre.  I've been using the evenings to read up on weaning and plan the first couple of weeks.  Today we went out for lunch with my mum and grandparents too. At home we are working hard on sitting/rolling and doing lots of story/song time.

Me: I mostly just look like an extra from The Walking Dead and I'm pretty tired.  I have a really short fuse at the moment, maybe because I use all my patience dealing with OJ so I have none left for anyone else.  Thankfully ALS is wonderful, both as a father and husband, so I'm incredibly lucky!

22 weeks 1 day - flipped himself over on my lap and headed straight for daddy's Easter egg!

22 weeks 2 days - playing with his toys while we got some pictures up on the wall.

22 weeks 2 days - just after being discharged from A&E, waiting for his medicine.

22 weeks 3 days - could he look any more fed up?

22 weeks 4 days - replaced myself with cushions so I could get some food!

22 weeks 5 days - first 3-6 month outfit, how cute?!

22 weeks 5 days - I just love those little cheeks <3

22 weeks 5 days - a rare sight of him sleeping in his Moses basket!

22 weeks 5 days - everyone was sleeping (although the camera woke the cats) so I got a hot meal, miracles do happen.  NB. OJ woke up 3 mouthfuls in so I had to eat quickly but I'm still counting it as a win!

22 weeks 6 days - rocking his little Star Wars jumper!

23 weeks - little dungarees which lasted approximately 30 minutes before he pooped on them... this doesn't even look like him!

Baby Update - 22 weeks

Age:  22 weeks

Weight: He isn't due to be weighed again until the end of the month.

Feeding: He's been a bit fidgety with his feeding and he chokes on his milk often too.  I tried him with a bottle again this morning and he didn't scream but seemed more interested in chewing on the teat and drank very little.  Since I've been back on dairy he has had really explosive, watery and mucousy nappies, he's been more fidgety with feeds and his eczema has really flared up so I have no idea what to think!  I'm waiting on a call back from the GP tomorrow to see what she suggests while we await our Paediatrician appointment in May.

Sleep: We had a few good nights where he would feed around 9, 1, 4 and then 6-7 with good sleep in between but last night he was wide awake from 2 onwards - he wasn't upset but certainly wasn't going to sleep.  He would drift off and catnap then be wide awake again.  Fortunately ALS had a late start this morning so around 7 am he took him for a couple of hours between feeds while I caught up on some sleep.

Routine: After battling with what other people think I've decided to stop caring and go back to a baby guided routine.  I'm letting him just sleep when he's tired (although desperately trying to catch the sleep windows so he doesn't get overtired) and if that means a later bedtime then so be it - at least that way I often get to sleep until 9 am.  It works for us and once he's older and in his own room we can work on bringing bedtime earlier ready for starting nursery.

Likes/dislikes:  He's really enjoying sitting in his ClevaCushion and playing independently.  He also absolutely LOVES BabyTV, which I limit to just a few minutes a day at teatime so I can get a hot meal - I watch it with him and talk to him about what's happening.  He doesn't like the fact that he's not allowed my food and managed to burn his fingers earlier by lunging at me and sticking them in my dinner (bad mummy) - there's fortunately no visible damage and he calmed down very quickly so I think it was just a shock!  Roll on weaning!

Firsts:  First Easter - although too young for Easter eggs yet! First real attempt at sitting and he's getting stronger each day.  First time being awake lots in the night (not bad for 5 months) not for feeding or reflux reasons.

Milestones: Sitting unsupported for a good 5 minutes or so at his great-grandma's house!  He's so close to rolling back to front but just isn't quite there yet.

Things we did: We had a very busy Easter weekend! He saw ALL of his grandparents/great-grandparents in one weekend which hasn't happened since the first weekend he was born. We went to a friend's for a takeaway on Friday and he got to see his cousin. We went swimming and then had the gym squad round for pizza on Sunday. We went to the story/singing griup again which he loved too! We also went to ASDA and picked up a load of 3-6 month clothes ready for the transition as he's growing faster now. 

Me: I'm trying hard to just do what's right for us as a family without worrying what others think but it's hard!  I'm also trying to find time to keep on top of things like exercise and doing the washing - I was doing it when OJ went down at night but it's like he can sense that I've left the room so wakes up and then won't settle for ALS. In the daytime he rarely naps anywhere other than on me (and if I put him down his nap ends up short so I'm just letting him sleep on me in the interest of him getting enough sleep).  It is getting slightly easier now he will entertain himself for a bit but it's not long enough to get a full workout in, plus I don't really enjoy working out at home - I do love my weekend gym sessions though!  I'm keeping motivated though as I've signed myself up for a charity deadlift competition in May!

21 weeks 1 day - looking a little like Dopey from Snow White with his hat on wonky!

21 weeks 2 days - he loves bathtime!

21 weeks 2 days - bedtime story with his Wubbanub.

21 weeks 3 days - looking fancy and stealing our friend's hat!

21 weeks 3 days - not sure he knows how to wear a cap yet...

21 weeks 4 days - 5 month growth photo!

21 weeks 6 days - looking in amazement while I expressed some milk.

22 weeks - toys galore and all he wants is my bottle!

22 weeks - trying to get at my toastie... it's hard to say no to those eyes!

22 weeks - it's taken 5 months but I finally got a photo of his gorgeous little bottom lip... he doesn't wake up well!

Baby Update - 21 weeks old

Age:  21 weeks

Weight: He was weighed 2 days ago and was 13 lb 8 oz (6.16 kg) so he's put 1 lb 1 oz on in a month and has stayed around the same centile.  He'll be weighed again in 4 weeks and hopefully he'll have put more weight on despite me being back on dairy.

Feeding: He's getting quite distracted which is making things a little hard but he's generally feeding much quicker which is a bonus.  He had a couple of days where the vomiting was less but then for the last 2 days he's been projectile vomiting quite a lot.  He's constantly trying to get at our food now so I'm looking forward to being able to wean him. 

Sleep: What a nightmare!  He's almost impossible to get to sleep in the day unless he falls  asleep feeding, he just fights it so much and is worried about missing anything which leads to him often having a long nap too close to bedtime.  We have a busy weekend coming up so there's no point tackling it before the weekend is over.  At night he mostly goes down okay but has a lot of trouble with the reflux and wind so by 4 am he's uncomfortable and feeding every hour to settle.

Routine: What routine? I'm basically just doing whatever I can to get him a decent amount of sleep... I'm finding it hard this week but mostly because I think others will judge me for not having got into a decent routine sooner.  If I stop caring what others think I'll do a lot better!

Likes/dislikes:  He loves music and singing so we do a lot of nursery rhymes, especially ones with actions.  He loves sitting up to play now and likes to chew on anything  he can get his hands (or mouth) on!  He's still not a fan of tummy time and, as he can roll front to back, just immediately turns himself over.

Firsts:  I took him to his first session at our local Sure Start Centre and he loved it - it was called Once Upon a Rhyme and was all about reading and singing, two of his favourite pastimes.   

Milestones: Nothing major this week, although his babbling is starting to sound a little more like words -no obvious vowel sounds yet but lots of 2 syllable consonant sounds.

Things we did: We had a lovely family day on Sunday - we took OJ swimming then went for a nice long walk in the sunshine and had a drink in our local pub's beer garden.  As I mentioned above I took OJ to his first baby session too.  I'm really looking forward to this next few days as it's Easter weekend and we have 3 whole days of daddy and lots of plans!

Me: I'm feeling like a bad parent for not having a routine and OJ not sleeping well because of it.  I know there are worse things in the world and he's generally a healthy, happy little chap who is developing well but I guess I worry too much what others think.  I always assumed that I'd be an amazing parent because I know a lot about kids and I was desperate to be a parent but the truth is I'm just muddling through... I'm VERY sleep deprived this week so that's probably why I'm being so negative!

20 weeks 1 day - pretending to be Lawrence of Arabia with Nanna and Grandpa.

20 weeks 1 day - working on his sitting... and trying to grab the camera.

20 weeks 2 days - snuggling up to mummy and sucking his thumb in the morning when daddy had gone to work.

20 weeks 3 days - on a nice long walk, holding on for dear life because he doesn't trust mummy's driving!

20 weeks 4 days - little bugger scratched his face just before we went to get him weighed, again!

20 weeks 4 days - I'm beginning to think this may be a girl's coat, but doesn't he look cute?

20 weeks 4 days - where's my baby gone?

20 weeks 4 days - he loves his feet so much he even holds them while he sleeps.

20 weeks 5 days - playing with his rings... I remember having a set just like this so I was thrilled when my grandma bought some for OJ for Christmas.

20 weeks 5 days - finally got the hang of chewing on his teether bib but all eyes on daddy!

20 weeks 6 days - tired out after Once Upon a Rhyme, napping too close to bedtime but too cute to wake up.

21 weeks - he loves a good selfie.

21 weeks - boy after my own heart, stole my chocolates and started chewing on the bag (no it's not open before any of the parent police start moaning).