Picnics

With it being the summer holidays, we felt a nice day out was in order, so my Mum, Dad and I took Joel up to Trentham Gardens today.  I've never been round the Italian Gardens properly, only having been there for work purposes when our University Graduation ceremonies are on (they're held within the gardens) so it was a really nice day.

We went off about 10am and the sun was shining as we strolled around the gardens and had an icecream watching the children's play area thinking how soon Joel would be running around in the sandpit too!!



These aren't my pics, they're from the website but a good representation of the lovliness that Trentham is now!  I remember it from years ago when it was a falling down site, with a lot of canadian geese droppings all about the gardens but now, wowee, it's beautiful and such a well maintained site.

These are a few pics taken on my phone.  It was so nice to lie back on a blanket in such pretty surroundings and relax with my baby!  We should do it more often I think!!

17 Weeks

Our little dude is 17 weeks old today! 

He's made it to 1 stone in weight, and don't we know it!!

This week new fun things involve loud squealing, turning his head from side to side repeatedly and putting his fingers in peoples mouth and chuckling because it's so funny!!

He's still EBF (exclusivly breast fed) and we're sticking with that until he's 6 months (seperate post to come).

He's back to sleeping better at night this week after a few disrupted nights after our holidays which is better!

And he's had his nasty 16 week jabs which haven't affected him terribly at all. He's just been a bit grizzly before bed with a hot head so a dose of calpol seemed to help and he's been able to sleep it all off.

He's a brilliant baby!!

More Jabs :(

Today we've been to see the health visitor and nurse for a weigh in and the last set of injections for the time being.  The weigh in was easy enough, he's 14lbs now and I was hopeful that he'd be as good as his 12 week jabs where he didn't even whimper!!

No such luck!  It made me wonder whether it was due to the nurse, as we had the same one as his first set of jabs when he cried, and she was rather brusque about it all, stab, squirt and rub, whereas the nurse last time seemed a bit more gentle, but he yelled at the first injection, then did the hold his breath at the audacity of it all and really show his feelings with a proper scream sort of yell, at which he was turned around and had another two injections which really upset him.

He was howling and screaming, and as soon as it was done I put him on the breast and he began to calm down with his furious feeding which is kind of cute, where he has little fists to beat me with, and a frown on his face and his sucks seem indignant, and it took a while but then he relaxed and even gave the nurse a big smile before he left. 

I realised I'd got tears down my cheeks on exiting.  I'd not noticed I was crying too, but some tears had escaped me, as it was the most awful of the appointments.

When we got back into the waiting room, all the other mums with their babies looked at me with terror, as though it was what was to come for their babies too!

He's now napping in his cot, quite worn out from the day, and last time he was rather tired the next couple of days so here's hoping he copes with the after effects alright tonight and tomorrow.  And thank goodness there aren't any more until after his first birthday now!

Teething....

Joel is a very drooly, gnawing, chewing and generally 'things in mouth at all times' baby at the moment!

In his Jumperoo

Gnaw the bib!

He loves this winky toy!

Chomp chomp chomp...

Yummy

Strong Little Dude

"Not more tummy time?!"

"Oh!  Look, I'm pushing up"!

"Wow!  I can see around me!"

"Woah!  Am I leaning??"

And thus endeth the lesson as after this he buried his face in the ground and gave up for the day!!


Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media

Upsets

Last night I was going out for dinner with some friends and Steve was staying in for the evening with Joel.  I'd left Joel and Steve playing at 6pm so I could get ready and I heard crying.

Joel hadn't napped well in the late afternoon so we knew he was overtired, but he began getting more and more worked up.

I'd got all ready and Steve had got him into his sleeping suit, all the while crying and getting more and more upset and he handed him over for a feed but he was so upset, he couldn't stop crying.  It was a bit as though he tried every now and then, but then he remembered he was being upset and couldn't help it and screamed the place down.

If he just cried like a normal baby that wouldn't be so bad, but he proper screams as though the worst thing in the world has happened and he's in pain and it really hurts your ears!  It's the same cry he did on holiday when I turned the side light on.

Trying to put him on the boob only aggravated the situation, and ssshing, and rocking, and holding, and wandering outside, and distractions were not working at all last night.

So off to the car we went!  It ended up with Steve driving me to my dinner and then driving round till Joel drifted off which didn't take long but left me worrying all evening as he'd not had a feed at 7pm as normal so after the meal I got a lift home and on seeing he was fine, left his feed till about 10.30.

He then woke up being very chatty and blowing raspberrys at 3.00am!!  Why, I don't know.  He sounded quite happy but it was the nighttime still, so I went to feed him and he had a very good feed but wasn't going back to sleep!

I popped him in his cot, went back to my own bed and heard him chattering for about another 30 minutes before he went back to sleep!

he was then awake again before 7am this morning, but I dozed on and off until his raspberrys were so loud I had to get up and feed him at about 7.10am.  I think he'd been awake from about 6!!  And now it's nearly 8.30 and he's ready for his morning nap again which will put the whole day out, although having had awake time in the night, he's likely going to have a longer nap session at some point today!

I'm so glad he's woken up happy!  I wonder whether it was just tiredness making him scream yesterday.  Maybe he sensed I was going out and leaving him? 

He has a few cries, the 'I'm not sure about this' where his lip quivers and comes out and it's more of a 'threat' to cry without actually crying.  This one seems to be directed at men peering in his pram at the moment - that'll get the lower lip going for sure!  Then there's the actual crying where he sobs and big tears come out and it's heartbreaking, but normally quite fixable with a cuddle, or a boob, or both together!  And then there's the horrendousness that is the inflexible screaming where his body goes rigid and his mouth opens and closes and at the open moments there's screaming, no tears, and panic and confusion on both sides.

I still had a nice meal though and it was nice to see my friends and chat to Julie who is now on maternity leave and waiting for the arrival of her baby due on 3rd September!

16 Weeks

Joel is 16 weeks old today!  And as cute as a button in his little white cardigan with a hood!

The Babycentre website says this for 16 week old babies:

When you place her on her stomach, your baby will lift her head and shoulders high, using her arms for support. This mini push-up helps strengthen her muscles and gives her a better view of what's going on. She may even amaze you (and herself!) by rolling from her back to her front, or vice versa. You can encourage this skill through play. Wiggle a toy next to the side she customarily rolls to in case she's interested enough to try again. Applaud her efforts and smile. She may need your reassurance since her new skill can be frightening. 

He has been doing more tummy time and pushing right up on his arms!  And not crying!  I guess that's progress.  We have his 16 week jabs next week on Tuesday so am not looking forward to those but he's not been too bad with the others and after those are done we can think about going swimming sometime!  We can't wait to teach him to be a water baby!!