So October 25th my gorgeous little man turned three months old. Yikes!
Winning:
- He is so animated - this has been my best month with him for sure. He really grins at you when you look at him. His new trick when he lies on the carpet is to crane his neck to get a look at you and then when you smile at him he beams back at you. He loves lots of attention and smiles - but then I think most babies would.
- Baby sensory - if you follow me on instagram you will see the photo collages that I create every week. It is so fun and makes Monday the highlight of the week. They play songs, have instruments, encourage you to read books and play with your baby and have lots of sensory activities, like feathers and gauze, so that they learn about textures. It has given me more confidence playing with him and knowing what types of activities to do with him. We now have our own baby sensory hour in the mornings where we read books, sing songs and play with toys.
- He chats and gurgles and you can see how keen he is to join in with us and have a conversation.
- His baby blessing was a massive highlight this month. His daddy was able to give him a blessing and apparently he stared up at him the whole time. My sister and I were in floods of tears and I had to use his muzzie to clean me up!
- Skype sessions with his Oma and Opa in Bruges and his two adoring aunties and with his Uncle Jelle in Poland. It means that we keep in touch more with our families - even if they only ever want to see him and not us!
- Snuggling when he is sleeping as he is a bit of a wriggler when he is awake and so it is nice just to have him 'chill' in your arms sometimes.
- He had his first giggling session as daddy was teasing him and pulling his tracksuit pants up and calling him Simon Cowell! It was really sweet.
- This has been my favourite month as his little personality is really shining through. He smiles all the time and has a really cheeky little persona. He is such a fun and happy little boy to be around.
- He is really good. I don't know what we did to get so lucky but he barely cries and is quite happy entertaining himself - so long as you give him the odd smile every now and then. I took him to the hairdresser and was in there for a few hours and he barely made a peep. Also he came to the launch of Trinity Kitchens with me and he quite happily sat in his pram whilst I chatted and tried samples. I can pretty much carry on my life as normal and just bring him along for the ride!
- He is a wriggler and has a mean kick on him and too often he's booting me in the belly!
- Tiresome evenings - we both hit a wall about 7ish and then wish that it was the other ones 'turn.'
- Lack of time to myself. I know it looks like all I do is take pictures of my baby, scrapbook and blog but I actually don't have as much chill out time as before. Obvs. When I do have chill out time I often waste it surfing the net as I don't have the energy or desire to do anything else. A shower or walk to the shop sans pram feels like a holiday and sometimes I do linger longer in the aisles!
- We miss our date nights and realise now what a privileged life we led together. Always popping out for lunch or dinner or to catch a movie. We miss connecting as a couple and the few times we have been out on a date night we always end up talking about Ellis.
- Mummy's groups have been a mixed blessing. On the plus side it gets us out of the house and you can chat to other mums, but on the downside you find yourselves comparing your babies - 'oh yours can roll over can it?' or 'oh yours is sleeping through the night, are they?' Cue feelings of inadequacy. Generally I am quite thick skinned, but sometimes a comment can really grate on you.
- Being downgraded and undervalued as a SAHM (for now.) I do think that society doesn't value mums enough and that we are the butt of lots of jokes about ladies that lunch etc. I think I do miss feeling 'needed' as a teacher and leader and sometimes feel that the errands I run are not exactly important or that going to the Post Office and supermarket is not quite as amazing an achievement as getting my sixth formers their grades to get into uni.
- I have had a nasty cold and a sick bug (on my birthday) and its difficult as you can't call in sick when you're a mum!
See how my little man has grown in the last three months:-
Love this Mel! Can really relate to the whole work vs mum thing too - my thoughts exactly for the last few years. I know what's important, but the internal battle and feeling that you are now a second class citizen is really tough (in my exp it does get easier, but never quite goes away)! And completely get what you say about the groups - I think you soon learn which ones to avoid!! And who not to listen to....
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures of Ellis - as always! A real cutie
Such a fun post to read! It takes me right back to when that big lad of mine was this size..I can remember those feelings about being at home too. It can be isolating - hard to believe I didn't even have internet then! - and it's definitely every bit as hard work as going out to a job. Keep it up, you're doing a brilliant job
ReplyDeleteHe is absolutely thriving, and you will never do a more important job than this :). Hold that thought when it all seems too much!
ReplyDeleteAw I want to witness a giggling session! So sad he is hitting all these milestones so far away!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you got 'given' a good baby too! Athena is the same, giggles and smiles and hardly cries. We really were blessed! As my husband works nights I just drag the baby along with me too, it really is great, plus everyone always wants a hold so if I need to do soemthing it's not a problem! I wish there was a baby sensory class where I am but there doesn't seem to be. I am going to go over to pinterest soon and collect some ideas and make things at home!
ReplyDeleteOff to read the post about the blessing now :)
a lovely post Mel...going back to work comes all too soon...enjoy it and those lunches!!
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