Daisy is 22 weeks old and has now learned to roll from her back to her front...and she does it all the time! But although she CAN roll back the other way, she seems to have forgotten how, so often gets stuck on her front and then moans until I flip her back over...only to repeat the same thing again almost instantly. I know it's the first step to her being on the move and has been a bit of an eye-opener and a window to the future. I think the stage where she's crawling is going to be a lot more challenging than the newborn phase was - keeping an eye on both her and Jamie, potentially moving in different directions.
So we have about 4 weeks until we'll start weaning her onto solids...I can't believe how quickly that is coming around. The 0-6 month stage with Jamie seemed to last a very long time, whereas with Daisy it's gone in the blink of an eye. She doesn't seem big enough somehow to be sitting up in a highchair having proper food...I want her to stay a little baby for longer! I'm wondering whether to try Baby Led Weaning...but I think I'll probably use purees, like I did with Jamie. I might try and use finger foods more than I did with him though - or earlier at least. Exciting times!
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Terrible twos!
Now that I've unified my blog, I can write a little update on how my big boy is doing these days.
Jamie is 2 years 4 months old now. He seemed to cope really well with the arrival of his little sis, he's very loving towards her, gives her kisses and cuddles (although sometimes his cuddles are a bit *too* loving and veer towards strangulation...!) So I was patting myself on the back about how well I'd done coping with a toddler and a newborn.
And then, the terrible twos hit! Just in the past couple of weeks, he has started throwing his toys and hitting me if he's told no, or stopped from doing something he wants to. Yesterday we were at a group, I was sitting at the side of the room rocking Daisy to sleep, keeping an eye on him as he played. He spotted a little girl with a pushchair, and he decided he wanted that pushchair and he wanted it NOW! Cue little girl crying as her pushchair was snatched away by my angelic-looking but not acting son. I leapt up and ran over, Daisy in one arm, and just managed to stop Jamie from flinging the pushchair across the room in anger. He then screamed at the top of his lungs and started crying loudly. It seemed as though everyone in the room, parents and children, went quiet and turned to look at me. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me, trying to reprimand him about his behaviour but also trying to distract him and calm him down. Luckily, after a talking-to about sharing and the offer of a biscuit, peace was restored. But god, it was embarrassing.
The thing is, I know that all those parents were probably thinking "thank god it's not my child" in a there-for-the-grace-of-god-go-I type way. But it felt as though they were all judging me and thinking my son is a thug, and wishing we would leave and never come back (we've only been to the group twice, so are newcomers on the scene). Sometimes being a mum of a toddler and a baby is hard. Luckily, soon after the pushchair incident, Daisy went to sleep and I was able to put her down and give Jamie some one-to-one time, doing some painting and playdough.
I know (thanks to my current parenting bible, "Toddler Taming") that most tantrums are down to wanting attention, and that 2 year olds haven't mastered much control over their emotions. I'm struggling to know what to ignore and what to punish - as ignoring and distracting is meant to be the best way to avert tantrums. But then, when he's lobbing toys around, I feel as though I need to punish him by using the naughty step...but then is that just giving him the attention he craves - for negative behaviour?
Anyway, aside from the tantrums, throwing and hitting, he is an adorable, funny and loving little boy. His speech is really coming along now and some of the things he says are so cute. Just as well, as it makes up for the mortifying public displays of defiance and aggression!
Things I love...
- snuggling up under his duvet together to read him a bedtime story
- waking up in the morning to hear him singing...current favourites are "Wheels on the bus" and "Old Macdonald".
- watching him in the garden, feeding corn to the chickens and squealing with delight as they follow him around
- his joy and wonder at the world around him...everything is an adventure, every day there are new things to discover.
Jamie is 2 years 4 months old now. He seemed to cope really well with the arrival of his little sis, he's very loving towards her, gives her kisses and cuddles (although sometimes his cuddles are a bit *too* loving and veer towards strangulation...!) So I was patting myself on the back about how well I'd done coping with a toddler and a newborn.
And then, the terrible twos hit! Just in the past couple of weeks, he has started throwing his toys and hitting me if he's told no, or stopped from doing something he wants to. Yesterday we were at a group, I was sitting at the side of the room rocking Daisy to sleep, keeping an eye on him as he played. He spotted a little girl with a pushchair, and he decided he wanted that pushchair and he wanted it NOW! Cue little girl crying as her pushchair was snatched away by my angelic-looking but not acting son. I leapt up and ran over, Daisy in one arm, and just managed to stop Jamie from flinging the pushchair across the room in anger. He then screamed at the top of his lungs and started crying loudly. It seemed as though everyone in the room, parents and children, went quiet and turned to look at me. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me, trying to reprimand him about his behaviour but also trying to distract him and calm him down. Luckily, after a talking-to about sharing and the offer of a biscuit, peace was restored. But god, it was embarrassing.
The thing is, I know that all those parents were probably thinking "thank god it's not my child" in a there-for-the-grace-of-god-go-I type way. But it felt as though they were all judging me and thinking my son is a thug, and wishing we would leave and never come back (we've only been to the group twice, so are newcomers on the scene). Sometimes being a mum of a toddler and a baby is hard. Luckily, soon after the pushchair incident, Daisy went to sleep and I was able to put her down and give Jamie some one-to-one time, doing some painting and playdough.
I know (thanks to my current parenting bible, "Toddler Taming") that most tantrums are down to wanting attention, and that 2 year olds haven't mastered much control over their emotions. I'm struggling to know what to ignore and what to punish - as ignoring and distracting is meant to be the best way to avert tantrums. But then, when he's lobbing toys around, I feel as though I need to punish him by using the naughty step...but then is that just giving him the attention he craves - for negative behaviour?
Anyway, aside from the tantrums, throwing and hitting, he is an adorable, funny and loving little boy. His speech is really coming along now and some of the things he says are so cute. Just as well, as it makes up for the mortifying public displays of defiance and aggression!
Things I love...
- snuggling up under his duvet together to read him a bedtime story
- waking up in the morning to hear him singing...current favourites are "Wheels on the bus" and "Old Macdonald".
- watching him in the garden, feeding corn to the chickens and squealing with delight as they follow him around
- his joy and wonder at the world around him...everything is an adventure, every day there are new things to discover.
My new blog
So, I'd done a blog for Jamie that sadly got abandoned once the pressures of being a working mummy started taking their toll. Then, after Daisy was born I started one for her. But I want to write about both of them and the things we get up to as a family, so I've decided to start a whole new one!
At some point I think I will copy and paste the posts from the other two blogs into this one so that it's all together.
My main reason for writing this is to create a record of all my babies' milestones, all the fun we have together, all the little things that happen every day that I want to remember. I found when I was expecting Daisy, that I had almost forgotten what life with a newborn was like, and if someone asked when Jamie first smiled, or got his first tooth, I'd have to think really hard. So recording all those little moments as they happen is so important to me. I doubt anyone apart from me will ever read this, but maybe when Jamie and Daisy are older, they'll like to read it.
So here we go then, The Adventures of Jamie and Daisy...
At some point I think I will copy and paste the posts from the other two blogs into this one so that it's all together.
My main reason for writing this is to create a record of all my babies' milestones, all the fun we have together, all the little things that happen every day that I want to remember. I found when I was expecting Daisy, that I had almost forgotten what life with a newborn was like, and if someone asked when Jamie first smiled, or got his first tooth, I'd have to think really hard. So recording all those little moments as they happen is so important to me. I doubt anyone apart from me will ever read this, but maybe when Jamie and Daisy are older, they'll like to read it.
So here we go then, The Adventures of Jamie and Daisy...
Friday, 8 October 2010
How we roll!
Daisy can roll! I've felt as though I've been a bit slack with the amount of tummy time Daisy has had...I worry that she'll get trampled by her big bro - unintentionally of course, but he doesn't always look where he's running. But today, while Jamie was asleep, I put her on her front. And after looking up and giving me a grin, she threw her head to the side and rolled onto her back! I grabbed the camera and flipped her back to her front, and she did it a couple more times so I could video it for her Daddy to see when he got home. I'm so proud! Consulting Jamie's red book, I can see that he also rolled front to back for the first time at 19 weeks...so little sister seems to be meeting her milestones in line with her bro.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
I am LOVING maternity leave now. It took me a while to adjust to not being at work, and for the first couple of months of Daisy's life, I was living by the clock, always trying to cram as much as possible into each day...toddler groups, walks, household chores, etc etc. It was as though I wanted to prove I could still be a good mum to Jamie, even though his little sister had come along. I didn't want to feel as though I was letting him down or that he was missing out. I look back now and can see how silly I was being, but at the time I felt so under pressure to be "perfect".
Now I have chilled out a bit and am just enjoying each day with my babies, even if sometimes we just stay in and make cakes, or play in the garden. We still go to groups a lot, and see friends, but I'm now more relaxed about everything.
It helps that Wayne has a new job and so our money worries have been alleviated a little. I should now be able to take a full year off, which I'm SO happy about. As to returning to work afterwards, i have some decisions to make. I would love to be a stay-at-home-mum, but we aren't sure finances will allow. We'll see how things go over the next few months and decide nearer the time.
I'm thinking of turning this blog into a general one about our family life, instead of just being about Daisy. Need to think of a name though!
Speaking of my little flower...she is still such a joy, her smile is never far away and she's growing up so quickly. 19 weeks old now...I can't believe how fast the time has gone. She is doing so well, totally rocking at tummy time, even though she doesn't get as much practice as she should, in case she gets trampled by her big bro.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Tights, and other girly things
I'm a bit of a tomboy. I live in jeans and trainers and I didn't inherit the "shoe" gene that most women have that results in a cupboard full of assorted footwear. All was fine with Jamie, I felt confident dressing him in funky t-shirts, jeans and combats. But now I have a little girl, and up until now she has worn jeans, dungarees, tracksuits...yes some of them have been pink, but so far there hasn't been a skirt in sight.
Well today that has all changed! I had some mothercare vouchers and instead of being sensible and saving them for Christmas, I decided to buy Daisy some new, girly threads. So she now owns a denim skirt, a denim dress, and three pairs of tights! And she looks unbearably cute in her new gear. I especially love the denim skirt and tights look, in fact I'm almost tempted to try it myself ;) And it has to be said, tights stay on a lot better than socks and keep her feet toasty warm.
Doesn't she look adorable?
Well today that has all changed! I had some mothercare vouchers and instead of being sensible and saving them for Christmas, I decided to buy Daisy some new, girly threads. So she now owns a denim skirt, a denim dress, and three pairs of tights! And she looks unbearably cute in her new gear. I especially love the denim skirt and tights look, in fact I'm almost tempted to try it myself ;) And it has to be said, tights stay on a lot better than socks and keep her feet toasty warm.
Doesn't she look adorable?
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