For his Christmas Dinner, our Bernard had his first proper go at finger food, in the form of a french bean with all the lovely red wine gravy licked off by mummy. French beans prove to be a good size and shape for small graspy baby-fists [even reknownedly monstrous ones like Bernard's], and can be sucked flat before being flung to the floor ready for the next one. Rah!
Karen · December 27, 2006 · Comments off · filthy grub, rabbits
Half a year has gone and suddenly everything is changing, and my tiny scrawny bundle of hunger is a 19.5lb scamp who could beat me in a wrist-wrestle. I wanted to write a list of highlights, but really he has just gone through all the usual stages, like smiling and sitting and cooing at christmas trees, and everything he does seems wonderful. Well, everything apart from the monster nappies and the 2-hourly nightfeeds and the evening grizzling. But everything else is wonderful.
Karen · December 23, 2006 · Comments (4) · rabbits
In January I have to go back to work. I will be doing three afternoons (at home), a full day (in the office), and one morning (at home). Bernard will go to a childminder during for all the time that I’m working.[1]
This means that I can no longer breastfeed on demand (which is the main reason why we aren’t doing baby-led weaning). I am very, very gradually dropping the morning feed, and then the lunchtime feed, and will hang on to the afternoon one for as long as I can.
Unfortunately we have now reached a stage where the no-feed zone stretches from 7.30am to 12.00, and this morning Bernard slept from 4.00 until 8.00, which means of course that I haven’t been able to feed him yet. I gave him some pear and rice for breakfast, with some water, and then at 10.30 I offered him some Hipps Organic Formula. He was pretty tired by this time, and normally I would have breastfed him, he would have fallen asleep, and all would be harmonious and lovely. Anyone who thinks I told you so at this point can consider themselves banned from Rise forever, at this point.
All was not harmonious and lovely. It seems that Bernard is even more committed than I am to the principle that he won’t have any formula before six months. He will be six months old on Saturday, and might have succumbed by then; by the end of next week the zone will be getting pushed further into the afternoon, and this baby is going to get very hungry if he keeps up the howling and refusing. It was one of the most miserable things I have had to do to him so far, and I can’t say I’m sorry that it failed, really.
He howled himself to sleep, and after about ten minutes he stirred, squirmed, looked up at me with a beaming smile, and went back to sleep. So I think I have been forgiven.
Karen · December 19, 2006 · Comments (3) · filthy grub, rabbits
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Laura. I’ll do her the honour of not changing her name for her own protection, because she reads Rise, so she would soon identify herself, and then I’d be in all kinds of trouble. Laura’s having a baby soon, and I have so much difficulty in not overloading her with all that advice that I was objecting to so strongly a year or so ago. Although, of course, my advice is much better…
Laura says she doesn’t quite get co-sleeping, and I have tried to explain but I think I went off on a tangent and my thoughts got all disorganised and I never made my point at all. Well, now I’ve made some notes. Also, I was awake quite a lot during the night, because I have difficulty getting to sleep sometimes, so I was planning this post in my head.
When I say co-sleeping, I mean either having the baby sleep in the bed with the parents, or using a bedside crib with an open side joined to the parents’ bed. I’m not declaring that everyone should co-sleep – it’s a decision for each family to make for themselves – but I’m just going to explain why we do it.
I just wanted to say yay. In a sarcastic sort of way. Also: woo.
Karen · December 15, 2006 · Comments (3) · rabbits