Monday 30 November 2009

The Tooth has Arrived…..

Started giving Jamie 3 meals a day this week. Helped along by the visit to the Health Visitor and then cousin Lucy at the weekend. She is nearly walking!! And into everything.....which shows us how much stuff we need to do before the house is Jamie-proof! Jamie seems to like what I have so far given him for breakfast – especially Creamy Rice Breakfast and he is eating more of the pots for his lunch and tea. However, he still seems to want milk as well, so I am giving him 200ml of follow on (as opposed to 240 of Hungry Baby).

Saturday he was all over the shop and investigation showed that a tooth (possibly two) is/are pushing through at the bottom of his mouth. Been giving him either Calpol or Ashton and Parsons Infants Powder which both seem to help. He has woken up in the night but thankfully has not been keeping us up too long. Daddy is still out of the house for 12 hours a day and really needs his rest!! He is hoping to keep going til Christmas and to be able to pay off some more off the mortgage, which will obviously make things better in the new year when my money runs out!

Jamie’s tooth arrived a little too late as Daddy and Mummy had only just been to the dentist. We were able to register him with the practice though so that was good. At least mummy does not have to pay for her dentist at the mo. And she has had her flu jab this week so hopefully won’t get ill over Christmas like she usually does!

Last Monday the Baby Signing group had a photographer in for the day, but I wasn’t that impressed with the photos of me, Nanna and Jamie so I have booked us all in for a professional portrait on the 20th December. Should be attempting to loose a bit of weight but really can’t be bothered. I have at least moved the stepper from the garage into the house, but I will probably only end up tripping over it!! I should have gone out for a meal last Monday with some of the (younger, skinnier, no babies) girls I used to work with, but after a (unsuccessful) shopping trip the week before; spent looking at myself in the most unflattering changing room mirrors, I decided it would be too upsetting!!!

But we have been visited by Lyndsey and Benjamin, Nicola and William, and Michelle and the Twins in the last week or so; not to mention both cousins and aunts and uncles so Jamie is still a popular little happy chap!

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Baby Its Cold Outside….

Went to see the Health Visitor on the 19th November and get Jamie weighed. (I know thats nearly a week ago but we have been busy!) Jamie is now 7.78kg / 17.2lbs.
She asked about his feeding and assumed I was feeding him ‘breakfast’ which so far I have not been. At the moment we have simply been giving him his usual milk but at lunch and at tea replacing the Hungry Baby Milk with No3 and giving him half a pot of whatever. Apparently I should be giving him some breakfast as well. Jamie has at least started swallowing; only now there seems to be a lot of spitting and the mess seems to increase with each meal. Thank god for leather settees.

Mentioned about the sunburn that I thought he had caught on Tuesday – only for it to disappear Wednesday and it was suggested he might be teething. He is dribbling for England and it does feel as if something might be happening at the front of his mouth. Also, he has a bit of a cough which he probably caught from me or daddy and so it was suggested some Calpol might work.

Daddy had been worried about a lump on the back of his neck; behind his ear at his hair line but the Health Visitor could not feel anything and reassured us it wasn’t anything to be concerned about.

Next visit will be to us in late December / early January to see how we are getting on at home!!

Friday 13 November 2009

We may have a black eye….

Daddy is gonna be fuming. Jamie was quite happy this morning, playing on his mat (actually it’s a single duvet with a terrible 80s cover on) when all of a sudden there was a terrible scream!! It seems he hit himself in the eye with one of his stacking cups. There was a little bit of blood and a lot of crying and we are currently waiting to see what develops… However, looking at a recent email from BabyExpert.com this is all normal for a baby at 7 months:

· Your baby is now interested in how things fit together. A set of nesting cups, or any toy with different parts, will hold his attention for a long time and give you lots of potential for new games. He can also look into a container - a cup or a bowl - to see what's inside. Sometimes a bit too closely!

· He's able to imitate noises or simple actions such as clapping hands - try it and see if your baby attempts to copy you. He'll also enjoy seeing you bang two toys together, and if you put them where he can get them he may pick them up and try to do the same. Or bang two things together – one being himself!

· He has realised you are separate from him and hates it when you move out of eyesight. As his separation anxiety reaches its peak, stay close to him when he meets new people to give him confidence. If he cries when you leave a room, keep talking - he'll learn to feel safe with your voice. When you have to leave, hug and kiss him before you go and tell him you'll be back. Jamie has been a bit clingy but I am trying to stop him being too upset whenever I leave the room. He seems ok with other people at the moment though…

· Your baby will choose his own comforter at this age - whether it's a cuddly toy, blanket or muslin - and hate to be parted from it. Insure against disaster by having an identical comforter in reserve in case one is lost. Jamie's comforter appears to be his own thumb which is cheaper at least!!

· He is probably interested in starting to feed himself, so give him a spoon and let him have a go with it. A two-handled cup is worth trying around now, too - don't expect your baby to master it straightaway, but keep trying because in the long-term it's better for teeth for him to be drinking non-milk drinks from a cup than from a bottle. Still trying to get him to swallow the food we feed him, but he gets better everyday!

http://www.babyexpert.com/Baby/What%27s-happening-at-seven-months%5E/v1

Monday 9 November 2009

7 Months Already???

Last Wednesday Jamie was 7 months old and he is growing and developing everyday. This morning I have been sorting out his smaller clothes for his cousin Noah and I have found it quite upsetting. I want him to stay as he is now – all giggly and happy and loving his mummy……

Turning 7 months has seen changes with his eating. Finally he has been swallowing some food!! After a few days of Baby Rice (I definitely should not have bought that second box) and a few days on rusks, Michelle (with the twins) suggested I started him off on his normal milk then after a while swap it for some food – that way he would know what he was supposed to do with it. Amazingly, this seemed to work!!! And yesterday he actually seemed to like the taste of something – Organic Butternut Squash and Chicken. It was a free gift in one of the Bounty packs. I bet it is expensive……I thought as much £1.89 each pot – although at the moment they are on special offer at Sainsbury’s 3 for £4.50. (Well, it does say they only use organic free range chicken) I shall have to learn how to do it myself…..

In the last few weeks he has been to Sophie’s 1st birthday party and we have attended Baby Peep at the SureStart Centre which was good as I met up with Nicola and Estelle again. I also met someone who had been at a wedding with us the night before – she also has a 6 month old and is a friend of the groom. We went as friends of the bride!! What was also good was that some of the girls from Baby Signing were also there so I had a chat with them, and then one of them turned up while I was swimming with Karen and Sophie last Friday. It's strange how we all keep meeting up….

Daddy is still working too hard and I am still without a car, but we have now decided to keep to just one at the mo. and make use of the local taxi firm that is ‘car-seat exempt’. We are not going to be travelling long distances so I don’t mind Jamie sitting on my knee for a few miles / minutes. Michelle and Karen have both been good enough to pick me up a couple of times but I am conscious of not taking the mick. Also Nanna has said she does not mind taking me to places or even lending me her car. I hope she means this as I have booked in a number of appointments today – one of them being to the Chiropractor as my back has been severely killing me in the last week. Is it the cold weather or simply too much exertion?

One thing is for sure; we now know Jamie does not like the cold. We had a very small and intimate firework party on Saturday - mainly because we found a bag of fireworks in the garage - but Jamie refused to stay outside longer than a few minutes. He was wrapped up extra warm and we all thought he looked cute in his Tigger Hat. I just don't think Jamie agreed with us!!