note mr and mrs roper on the screen, baby on one end of her "bark-a-lounger" and Cotton on the other end. I promise you, I did NOT set up the pink kitty or baby to sit as such, baby did it all on her own.
she'll make faces at things that smell bad. she does these ab crunches to sit upright-not that she lasts long in the upright position as she's still developing balance. she's really strong!! she's even got a few cute tickle spots and the way she wriggles with a cute smile and squeak when i gently tickle her. O.M.G. I can't get enough of this adorable child. i spend about 80% of the day saying "you are sooo cute!" she's clever too! when we have story time, she turns the page...the correct direction! she usually grabs more than 1 page at a time but at least she's got the jist of how to work a book. and she really pays attention to you while you talk to her. infact, she gets mad if she's trying to talk to you and you don't make eye contact. look at how she's listening to daddy.
she's like that with all conversations.
I love feeding her! she grabs my thumb in one hand, pinky in the other and squeezes (sometimes I think she will break my fingers) and gently twists/turns them. it's so cute. she has become an easily distracted eater though. her eyes are all over the place and she's turning her head every direction that a sound comes. this woman even tries to watch the tv while eating! and if daddy enters the room, she gets all wide eyed and bushy tailed. if I talk to her she stops eating and flashes me some smiles then tries to conversate back. her feet are all over the place too. when i pause to wipe her chin she ab crunches up and tries to grab at her milk back to her mouth and gives a couple "hey!s" until the food is back in her mouth. she's got an appetite fo sure. i love it.
i miss her when she sleeps. but am glad she is sleeping cuz then i can get stuff done, like now i'm bloggin. i can also do some dishes, make dinner (chicken breyani tonight!) and of course express milk.
i've knocked the expressing schedule down to 4 times in the day and once at night when she wakes up sometime between 3-5am for her meal. it's much less stressful and i still get out the same amount of milk in a 24hr period so why should i knock myself out and express 8 times for the same results? i've done lot's of searching for info on partial feeding. there's not much out there. it's either breast is best or formula amounts for baby. there's been studies on just 50ml of breast milk a day providing a host of amazing benefits for the little one, which makes me feel better. i can't help but wonder how different everything would have been if baby and i were successful at est EBF. i'd been a lot less stressed and we'd have saved tonnes of money on lactation prescriptions, lactation herbals, breast pumps (yes plural), bottles and of course formula. that's on the top of my list when i go to heaven-why couldn't baby and i EBF????? but alas, there is purpose in all things (like maybe someone in my future will experience the same and i can provide "advice" and comfort) and it is what it is. o, i can say that now. i think i've finally stopped crying about it. i wont even try to describe the emotions felt behind this cuz it can't be described. only those who experience can understand. anyways, that's not what i want to talk about.
baby still loves bath time! can't wait till she's sitting without support so i can take the little basin outside and she can splash around while i sit beside and play with water squirting toys etc. i love the smiles she flashes me during bath time. her face is extra cute (if that's even possible).
here's what our day of fun looks like:
sometime between 6-8am-breakfast 1 (she eats 5x a day and once at night)
chats, smiles, cuddles in my bed as daddy has gone to work (her bed is in our room. she used to sleep beside me in my bed but she's grown and the bed isn't big enough for 3)
nap for mommy and baby-she usually falls asleep while playing with my hand, sooo cute
wash up and dressed in day clothes
then we begin the 2.5 hr intervals of the following-
activity time (once a day it's outside and once a day mommy has exercise time while baby plays on activity mat), meal time, variety time (hang laundry with mommy/story time/song time/scripture time), nap time
she's pretty good at napping...now. she didnt used to be but as i look back, it's cuz i didn't have any kind of routine in place for her nor did i get that she needed a little help to take a nap after a certain period of being awake. that's why we had a bit of a fussy baby. anyways, live and learn. i think special spirits are chosen to be the first born cuz the parents don't really know what they're doing and need a hardier baby to practice on.
advice for future mamas-spend more time reading/learning what to do with baby when baby comes. spend less time stressing on pregnancy. i was so obsessed with the pregnancy and upcoming birthing that i didn't really prepare for what to do once the baby comes! and to know what the baby needs more in the way the needs are to be met. also read-Baby Sense and the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. 2 books i wish i had known about/encouraged to read while pregnant.
anyways, can't wait to give baby her first bites of solids! and of coures, baby's first Christmas :) presents are bought and wrapped already. not that she'll really know what's going on or even how to open the present but it is her first christmas so it's important. she will also be sitting on santa's knee.
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