There are a lot of different groups which meet in Stafford and I'm trying to work my way around those that take my fancy, and yesterday we went to our Church mums and toddlers group which we enjoyed, but Joel fell asleep for most of it!!
This morning we went to Bounce and Rhyme which is a free session at our town library. Having walked in for 10am, Joel was again asleep but I carried him in sleeping and he lay in my arms zonked out right until the last song which ironically was the 'goodbye' song! There were lots of new songs I'd never heard before but anticipate going along again next week.
We've also been to a Mum's and toddlers group in town on a Friday but it was very noisy with lots of toddlers everywhere and it was a bit old for Joel at the moment.
And tomorrow the plan is to wander along to the Children's Centre for a breastfeeding group and to see what else goes on there as they do sensory sessions and baby massage classes too!
Joel is a very observant baby and seems to really enjoy watching 'busyness' and other children so to have three days to pop out for groups, I think that would be a good aim. Then a day at my Mum's in the week, and a day at home would be good.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Monday, 6 June 2011
Weigh-In
Joel has been progressively putting on weight -
Birth - 7lbs 14oz
Then - 7lbs 10oz
3 weeks - 8lbs 3oz
4 weeks - 10lbs 4 oz
so the health visitor didn't feel she needed to see him again until today.
We'd all anticipated him being about 12lbs by now! Except my Mum who was bang on the money with her guestimate of 11lbs 2oz!
He'll be next weighed at his eight week check which will actually be when he's one day off 9 weeks but for now he's perfectly hitting the right parts of his 'centile' chart for head circumference, length and weight!!
Birth - 7lbs 14oz
Then - 7lbs 10oz
3 weeks - 8lbs 3oz
4 weeks - 10lbs 4 oz
so the health visitor didn't feel she needed to see him again until today.
We'd all anticipated him being about 12lbs by now! Except my Mum who was bang on the money with her guestimate of 11lbs 2oz!
He'll be next weighed at his eight week check which will actually be when he's one day off 9 weeks but for now he's perfectly hitting the right parts of his 'centile' chart for head circumference, length and weight!!
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Journey
We headed down to Devon yesterday to visit Steve's family here as his Granny is rather ill at the moment and wanted to meet her great grandson. I was rather worried about the length of the journey (it takes about 4 hours) and the heat as it's suddenly got toasty warm this month.
However, Joel rose to the challenge admirably and slept for the whole of the first leg, then we had a good stop where Izzy got to stretch her legs, Joel got to feed, have some kicking time, we got to eat an early lunch and Daddy got to sort a nappy!
We set off again and Joel slept for the second leg as well! He was so zonked I was able to file his nails down on two hands and one foot (one foot to go!). We met up with Wendy and Paul who were taking Izzy for the afternoon and we had another rest and feed in the shade of a tree which was nice.
Then the last bit of the journey took us to deepest Barnstaple, no mobile signal anywhere and high hedges and winding lanes! We got to the cottage and Steve's Dad was there for the weekend to help look after Gt Granny and in we went.
Gt Granny was very pleased with Joel and announced that he was 'perfect' but 'very heavy!' She held him for a long while and he was so well behaved.
We stayed there for three hours and he slept a bit more in Great Granny's arms, cried a bit for Aunty Margaret, smiled for his Grandpa and then we were back over to Exeter.
It was far too long a journey for him really but with circumstanaces being what they are, we don't know whether he'll meet Great Granny again. We are going to Cornwall for a holiday next month and all being well will call in again on our way there and way back.
The heat has been a worry these past couple of days. I ring my mum each morning and ask what he should wear and last night our room was 28oc so we had windows open and he slept in just a vest and amazingly he did his 9,12 and 3 routine but we have been up since 5 now!! He's dozed off again on my shoulder and wouldn't settle in his basket again. I think he knows he's somewhere new and just wants a bt of reassurance!
His Granny has loved having him here though, and bathed him last night and has been rewarded with lots of smiles!! He really does seem so content! His hour or so of first awake time is wonderful at 7 with smiles, kicking legs and chuckles and I wouldn't miss it for the world! He seems very adaptable which is good as we like going away and if he is happy anywhere we are, all the better!
However, Joel rose to the challenge admirably and slept for the whole of the first leg, then we had a good stop where Izzy got to stretch her legs, Joel got to feed, have some kicking time, we got to eat an early lunch and Daddy got to sort a nappy!
We set off again and Joel slept for the second leg as well! He was so zonked I was able to file his nails down on two hands and one foot (one foot to go!). We met up with Wendy and Paul who were taking Izzy for the afternoon and we had another rest and feed in the shade of a tree which was nice.
Then the last bit of the journey took us to deepest Barnstaple, no mobile signal anywhere and high hedges and winding lanes! We got to the cottage and Steve's Dad was there for the weekend to help look after Gt Granny and in we went.
Gt Granny was very pleased with Joel and announced that he was 'perfect' but 'very heavy!' She held him for a long while and he was so well behaved.
We stayed there for three hours and he slept a bit more in Great Granny's arms, cried a bit for Aunty Margaret, smiled for his Grandpa and then we were back over to Exeter.
It was far too long a journey for him really but with circumstanaces being what they are, we don't know whether he'll meet Great Granny again. We are going to Cornwall for a holiday next month and all being well will call in again on our way there and way back.
The heat has been a worry these past couple of days. I ring my mum each morning and ask what he should wear and last night our room was 28oc so we had windows open and he slept in just a vest and amazingly he did his 9,12 and 3 routine but we have been up since 5 now!! He's dozed off again on my shoulder and wouldn't settle in his basket again. I think he knows he's somewhere new and just wants a bt of reassurance!
His Granny has loved having him here though, and bathed him last night and has been rewarded with lots of smiles!! He really does seem so content! His hour or so of first awake time is wonderful at 7 with smiles, kicking legs and chuckles and I wouldn't miss it for the world! He seems very adaptable which is good as we like going away and if he is happy anywhere we are, all the better!
Friday, 3 June 2011
Routines
I've been thinking about implementing a routine for a couple of days as my days are revolving around him without any order whatsoever and it's meant I don't know when he needs to nap, feed or play.
I've read that the best order of things is to nap/sleep, then feed, then play which would be why now after a feed he doesn't fall asleep anymore and I'm lost before the day has begun!!
So today I woke up at 6.45 naturally and rather than trying to get more sleep (which can make me more tired sometimes to be honest) I got up and sorted myself out quickly and he was chuntering which meant he was coming round, so I changed his nappy which woke him up and he had his feed at 7am. I then dressed him and tried to entertain him until at least 8am!!
So we looked at the window and the sunshine coming through. We looked at Mummy's bookcases full of books. He sat in his bouncy chair and just looked around. We did a little Looby Loo jig and sang 'Old MacDonald'.
Then we came downstairs and he sat in his vibrating chair (which he does rather like) and he looked at picture frames and we danced around Daddy's office room. All this in about 20 minutes!! We had a quick look in the garden and decided he wasn't quite dressed for it yet as there was a chill in the air, and then he rubbed his eyes!
Having read to look out for 'tired signs' I took this to be one of them and we went upstairs again and I laid him in his cot, put his lullaby music on, and put a thin blanket over him. I left the curtains open to demonstrate daytime sleep is different to nighttime sleep, and within 15 minutes he was asleep! Hurrah!
I then sped downstairs to express some milk (as I'm heading out for dinner with friends tonight! *gulp*) and he stirred!! I didn't panic, just replayed the lullaby over our BT 150 monitor and he went back to sleep! Brilliant!
I managed 2 oz which is good going considering I've not expressed for a while. Gina Ford says I should be doing this every day to increase my milk for when there are growth spurts and I guess I could manage it if I were more organised with a daily routine so that's something to consider.
Anyway, I'm gobbling cereal whilst I type, he's stirred again and I've put the music on again (it's quiet in his room and louder for me!!) and he's gone off again.
I guess about 10am I should hopefully have more milk and he can feed again. I'll start him on the breast I expressed from and he should be able to get the hind milk that expressing doesn't always. Then we'll head to the co-op for milk and an outing and after that, more sleep!! At least that's the plan for the day!
And this evening I'm going for dinner and my parents are looking after him. It'll be the longest I've been away and on my own (Steve is working in Birmingham till late) and I'm not sure how I'll feel to be honest. I'll miss him, that's for sure but it'll be nice to be my old self for a couple of hours as well.
Hopefully today will be a good day!
I've read that the best order of things is to nap/sleep, then feed, then play which would be why now after a feed he doesn't fall asleep anymore and I'm lost before the day has begun!!
So today I woke up at 6.45 naturally and rather than trying to get more sleep (which can make me more tired sometimes to be honest) I got up and sorted myself out quickly and he was chuntering which meant he was coming round, so I changed his nappy which woke him up and he had his feed at 7am. I then dressed him and tried to entertain him until at least 8am!!
So we looked at the window and the sunshine coming through. We looked at Mummy's bookcases full of books. He sat in his bouncy chair and just looked around. We did a little Looby Loo jig and sang 'Old MacDonald'.
Then we came downstairs and he sat in his vibrating chair (which he does rather like) and he looked at picture frames and we danced around Daddy's office room. All this in about 20 minutes!! We had a quick look in the garden and decided he wasn't quite dressed for it yet as there was a chill in the air, and then he rubbed his eyes!
Having read to look out for 'tired signs' I took this to be one of them and we went upstairs again and I laid him in his cot, put his lullaby music on, and put a thin blanket over him. I left the curtains open to demonstrate daytime sleep is different to nighttime sleep, and within 15 minutes he was asleep! Hurrah!
I then sped downstairs to express some milk (as I'm heading out for dinner with friends tonight! *gulp*) and he stirred!! I didn't panic, just replayed the lullaby over our BT 150 monitor and he went back to sleep! Brilliant!
I managed 2 oz which is good going considering I've not expressed for a while. Gina Ford says I should be doing this every day to increase my milk for when there are growth spurts and I guess I could manage it if I were more organised with a daily routine so that's something to consider.
Anyway, I'm gobbling cereal whilst I type, he's stirred again and I've put the music on again (it's quiet in his room and louder for me!!) and he's gone off again.
I guess about 10am I should hopefully have more milk and he can feed again. I'll start him on the breast I expressed from and he should be able to get the hind milk that expressing doesn't always. Then we'll head to the co-op for milk and an outing and after that, more sleep!! At least that's the plan for the day!
And this evening I'm going for dinner and my parents are looking after him. It'll be the longest I've been away and on my own (Steve is working in Birmingham till late) and I'm not sure how I'll feel to be honest. I'll miss him, that's for sure but it'll be nice to be my old self for a couple of hours as well.
Hopefully today will be a good day!
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Bathtime with Mummy
Last night Joel was getting very fractious having not had enough sleep in the day and baths seem to calm him down (at least they do with Steve) and he'd taken Izzy out for a walk so I decided to have another go to see whether he'd let me do it or not.
And he did!! I managed to run his bath, strip him down and get him in it, all without him crying. And he seemed to enjoy it, looking intently at me and smiling during the splashes!
Of course, he wailed on lifting him out, he really would prefer to stay in there forever it would seem, but he settles down again once his feet are safely in his sleepsuit!! (He has this thing about his feet being cosy after a bath!!)
So another thing sorted! Mummy is allowed to bath Joel now!
And he did!! I managed to run his bath, strip him down and get him in it, all without him crying. And he seemed to enjoy it, looking intently at me and smiling during the splashes!
Of course, he wailed on lifting him out, he really would prefer to stay in there forever it would seem, but he settles down again once his feet are safely in his sleepsuit!! (He has this thing about his feet being cosy after a bath!!)
So another thing sorted! Mummy is allowed to bath Joel now!
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
6 Weeks Old
My baby boy is 6 weeks old already. These 6 weeks have flown by. I can't believe how much he's changed in this time either!!
He's filled out lots. He has chubby little legs, cheeks and neck. He loves his milk although gripe water is running a close second!! He's not been a windy baby much at all, but he seems to struggle from time to time with passing wind and poops so we offer a half protion of gripe water which does seem to help things through. He gets all excited and his eyes widen when he tastes the water!
We now have real smiles which are lovely to be greeted with in the morning. He's so happy and has a good awake time after getting up, dressed and fed.
He has been a strong baby for a while, and is nearly holding his head himself. He hates being laid on his tummy and will fight the floor and then cry for a bit, but if he's lying on either Mummy or Daddy's tummy's he'll prop himself up, hold his head and look around the room!! So tummy time is time on our tummies :)
He loves his Grandma's vibrating 'calming' chair and will sit in it for a while a couple of times a day looking at the pictures on our walls and the windows which lets me get things done.
He cries when he has a pooey nappy, when he has wind, and he has a dreadful cry for when he's overtired! He'll fight sleep as he wants to be involved with life I think, and just before he zonks he'll have a quick and loud 'waaah' before his head falls onto my shoulder and he's out for the count!! It's quite predictable now so it doesn't bother me anymore! I know how to deal with it! Other than that he's content, smiling and even giving little chuckles from time to time!! That or sleeping (on a good day!!)
Izzy is still not very bothered by him yet, and generally ignores him although will come and lick his feet from time to time! She's liking being taken out for walks more though but not with her halti collar on to stop her pulling!!
This past week my wound seems to have finally healed so I've been walking more each day with the pram and it's lovely to be able to get out and about. We've walked to town and Tesco's a couple of times along the river, and today we're walking to Queensville to collect some shoes from Next!
He likes his dummies but will suck his fingers as well. He loves sucking things and having something in his mouth. I think he had a growth spurt this past week, he's been feeding a lot more in the day.
Oh, and yesterday we had sick for the first time!! The little white spit ups that I thought were sick really were not!! I'd fed him and he coughed, retched and gagged and then this yellow stringy stuff erupted from his mouth all over my left shoulder! I thought I'd have freaked out (old Kate would have done for someone elses baby!) but no, I stayed calm and just cleaned him up before even thinking about taking my top off to put in the wash!!
Yesterday morning we went to a singing group and Joel absolutely loved it! He watched all the other children and enjoyed the dancing songs where we held the babies and moved round in a circle with a spin! It's given me good ideas to do with him at home for sure.
In the afternoon he still hadn't napped, but we had some nappy off time in the garden (in the shade for him, sun for me!) and he enjoyed kicking his legs, feeling the breeze and watching our eucalyptus tree against the sky. Then we went to Tesco to buy him a t-shirt and he did not sleep!!
He's not been weighed this week as the health visitor said he was 'thriving' and she'd see him on Monday instead (monday coming) but I think he must have reached 11lbs. We'll have to wait and see!
He's certainly looking fairer still, he has dark and blonde hairs growing back to cover his baldness so I can't wait to see how it turns out!
And on Saturday we're going to drive with him to Exeter to see Steve's family. We've planned a couple of stops but he's very good in the car and the motion just sends him to sleep!
All in all, he's wonderful and I'm loving getting to know him still!!
He's filled out lots. He has chubby little legs, cheeks and neck. He loves his milk although gripe water is running a close second!! He's not been a windy baby much at all, but he seems to struggle from time to time with passing wind and poops so we offer a half protion of gripe water which does seem to help things through. He gets all excited and his eyes widen when he tastes the water!
We now have real smiles which are lovely to be greeted with in the morning. He's so happy and has a good awake time after getting up, dressed and fed.
He has been a strong baby for a while, and is nearly holding his head himself. He hates being laid on his tummy and will fight the floor and then cry for a bit, but if he's lying on either Mummy or Daddy's tummy's he'll prop himself up, hold his head and look around the room!! So tummy time is time on our tummies :)
He loves his Grandma's vibrating 'calming' chair and will sit in it for a while a couple of times a day looking at the pictures on our walls and the windows which lets me get things done.
He cries when he has a pooey nappy, when he has wind, and he has a dreadful cry for when he's overtired! He'll fight sleep as he wants to be involved with life I think, and just before he zonks he'll have a quick and loud 'waaah' before his head falls onto my shoulder and he's out for the count!! It's quite predictable now so it doesn't bother me anymore! I know how to deal with it! Other than that he's content, smiling and even giving little chuckles from time to time!! That or sleeping (on a good day!!)
Izzy is still not very bothered by him yet, and generally ignores him although will come and lick his feet from time to time! She's liking being taken out for walks more though but not with her halti collar on to stop her pulling!!
This past week my wound seems to have finally healed so I've been walking more each day with the pram and it's lovely to be able to get out and about. We've walked to town and Tesco's a couple of times along the river, and today we're walking to Queensville to collect some shoes from Next!
He likes his dummies but will suck his fingers as well. He loves sucking things and having something in his mouth. I think he had a growth spurt this past week, he's been feeding a lot more in the day.
Oh, and yesterday we had sick for the first time!! The little white spit ups that I thought were sick really were not!! I'd fed him and he coughed, retched and gagged and then this yellow stringy stuff erupted from his mouth all over my left shoulder! I thought I'd have freaked out (old Kate would have done for someone elses baby!) but no, I stayed calm and just cleaned him up before even thinking about taking my top off to put in the wash!!
Yesterday morning we went to a singing group and Joel absolutely loved it! He watched all the other children and enjoyed the dancing songs where we held the babies and moved round in a circle with a spin! It's given me good ideas to do with him at home for sure.
In the afternoon he still hadn't napped, but we had some nappy off time in the garden (in the shade for him, sun for me!) and he enjoyed kicking his legs, feeling the breeze and watching our eucalyptus tree against the sky. Then we went to Tesco to buy him a t-shirt and he did not sleep!!
He's not been weighed this week as the health visitor said he was 'thriving' and she'd see him on Monday instead (monday coming) but I think he must have reached 11lbs. We'll have to wait and see!
He's certainly looking fairer still, he has dark and blonde hairs growing back to cover his baldness so I can't wait to see how it turns out!
And on Saturday we're going to drive with him to Exeter to see Steve's family. We've planned a couple of stops but he's very good in the car and the motion just sends him to sleep!
All in all, he's wonderful and I'm loving getting to know him still!!
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