Co-sleeping

You might have seen this doing the rounds on Facebook at the moment. It tickled me. We haven't co-slept with Grace, but she does come in for a cuddle every now and again, usually at weekends when we aren't in a hurry. If ever she falls asleep in our bed, we're probably looking at Jazz Hands. If she doesn't, it's definately The Stalker. What about you and yours?

Potter Logic

For some time now, Gracie-bear has been hanging out at Grandma's house while I go to work and swan off to do Mummy things like swimming lengths. This combines nicely with nursery days and brings some balance to the week for Grace as well as keeping Grandma on her toes. We've worked hard with Grace to help her on her way to feeding herself, and as these pics show, she's even tackling the Big Five with finesse.

Tucking into one of her five a day

Reading a book with Grandma in between meals!

Lunch... with spready cheese (lump cheese on alternate weeks)...

Beans on toast! Yummy!

So yes, thanks to Grandma, Grace is growing up, Mummy is retaining a shred of her former life at work, and Grandma is busy keeping us all amused. What's your favourite type of cheese? Spready cheese :0)

Gotta love her x

Step away from the bowl!

STEP AWAY FROM THE BOWL AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!

Gracie having a thoroughly cracking time at the breakfast table - getting to grips with a bowl of yoghurt.

Not bad for ten months when one considers this is the first time she's had anything in her hair!

Rabbits

I don't know if you remember but a while back Grace and I signed up to take part in a research study into baby led weaning and the effects it has on the diet of the parent/s. Well we're done now and have submitted all of our data. We've been keeping a food diary of what I eat and what I offer to Grace over a period of time from 6-8 months of age.What this has to do with a graphic of the Easter Bunny is vague but what the heck - it's my blog and I can write what I please! Best wishes for Easter x x

Eight months Grace...

So as Grace turns 8 months, I can reflect on the following: Over the last 8 months, I have been given a period of grace from....

1) Hoovering - Matt the Husband now religiously does it all from top to bottom. On my post-op notes from the caesarian it said not to hoover and I'm sticking to that mindset.

2) Exercise - since Grace arrived I have been lucky/unlucky enough not to have time to exercise and as such I point the finger at Grace and Matt the Husband for my weight gain - Grace for taking up my time, Matt for taking over the hoovering and thus my opportunity for calorie burn.

3) Pride in appearance - this is a rather tenuous link as I never seemed to take much pride in my appearance anyway (go on, admit it - I know you were thinking as much) - and since Grace has arrived I really can't count the weeks my hair has gone without a dose of the hot irons. And what's more - I have turned into the slummy mummy who really does go to work and find weetabix in her hair and baby puke on her trousers. Nice.

4) Being a workaholic. I am now simply a wishaholic - I wish I could get my work done in the time I have.

And I wonder where did I ever find time to watch soaps, the news, google at random, and spend time thinking about doing x y and z. Now my days are very much flown by the seat of my pants (tight ones - my backside has expanded) and I reach every bedtime thinking 'WOW!' that day has whizzed by.

My compliment of the year has been dished out already - the HR Manager at work told me I had 'changed shape'. No kidding. But this is far outweighed by the compliments paid to Grace - beautiful eyelashes, such a contented little girl, those blue eyes.... it's all there and we love hearing it.

She's 8 months and blooming - thriving on life and taking each day in her stride. I'm almost certain she's half way to saying 'I love you Dada' and her other favourite rambling seems to be 'liar liar liar' - nothing to do with breaking my fast for lent I am sure....??? Push ups are mastered now and her little frog legs go like the clappers so it's only a matter of time until we see crawling I think. Sitting is officially mastered, and we have experienced our first sit-up poo. I like to think it came out looking like a fortune cookie - sorry if I'm putting you off your tea. Nursery is a wonderful place and she seems to enjoy every minute of it, it's the only day of the week where she can skip all day time sleeps and still be buzzing come bedtime. Favourite meals to date include chicken tikka masala with naan, tomatoey meatball risotto and strangely spinach and feta puff. Yum!!

So there's an update. 8 months.

Nothing more significant to post other than WELL DONE DADDY for running the London Marathon in 5 hours 26 minutes to raise money for Help the Hospices. STERLING EFFORT. x x x

Pizza please!

Grace is a girl growing up and developing a taste for fine stonebaked pizza. It's the first time Matt the Husband has dined out with Grace now she's taking solids and Pizza Express lends itself wonderfully to baby-led weaning. Lady Grace tucked into kalamata olives and dough balls for starter, followed by spinach and pepper pizza with mozzarella salad on the side, topped off with lemon sorbet with a wafer for good measure. Yummy! Grace behaved impeccably and aside from a 2-minute clear up operation at the end of the meal other diners wouldn't have known there was a little nipper dining out on the next table.

Pancake Day!

Grace has thoroughly enjoyed her first Shrove Tuesday, and it is official that Pancakes with lemon and sugar go hand in hand with baby led weaning. We had visitors for lunch, Christina and Dimitris, and we all tucked in to pancakes with gusto.

Matt the Husband and I are giving up diet coke for lent, so we are having our late binge tonight before going cold turkey for 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Grace is too young to give up anything for lent though she is rather complacent with her toys so it might be we tuck her favourite rattle into a drawer only to surprise her with it at the end of lent.

My yoga it has to be said, has fallen by the wayside - so much for practicing every day in February!! That was wishful thinking, I can tell you. I think it's more realistic to say I will practice on days I'm not working. Only time will tell.

Anyway, that's all I've got time for today, seeing as I need to drink a gallon of coke before going to bed tonight!!!

6 months

I'll get the cliche out the way with 'where has the time gone' and 'it has flown by' although I will say I agree with the cliches - IT HAS!!

Dear little Grace Mae....

You are now 6 months old. I feel I should be popping a cork or blowing a whistle to let people know of your coming of age, as your Daddy and I are proud as punch. Although we see you everyday, we never tire of looking at you and we were only saying to each other yesterday how much you are changing so quickly. After swimming today we said how we thought you were already becoming a little girl and I say that with a heavy heart as I'm not ready to let my baby grow up just yet! You love your swimming so much and your swimming teacher Debbie loves to see you and always spends time making you smile and your eyes open so so wide with excitement when we get the pool toys out to play with - your favourite is a green rubber fish and he never fails to delight you! Swimming, along with bath time is the only thing you will tolerate when you are tired or grumpy. It seems no matter how tired, water raises your spirits, clears your head and leaves you full of enjoyment for the moment.

On the whole you're taking to weaning with great gusto, and there is nothing you aren't prepared to try. You make life so easy as you will merrily stuff anything in your mouth, and as such you are enjoying sharing mealtimes with Mummy and Daddy. I speak on your behalf when I say your favourite dinner to date is Toad in the Hole, as you tucked into the Yorkshire Pudding with such vengeance, one might have thought we had forgotten to feed you that day! You're still developing your technique and finger foods work best for you at the moment (carrot batons, broccoli stalks, other veg cut into 'chip' shapes so you have a handle), although you're becoming more dexterous and are taking great joy in trying other foods too. I believe you share our love of spices as your 'chickpea curry face' had us both laughing out loud, and you've made a pretty good effort with cous cous too. Well done!!

You're a joy to spend time with and we never tire of the noises you make. Our favourite by far is the sigh you make over and over when you are content and resting, we reply in the same tone, and you sigh again. We love it!! Please don't grow out of that sigh! You have learnt to wave, I think they taught you at nursery, and we spent the afternoon today watching you practice with Grandma and Great Gran Fran. I think it's only a matter of time before you learn your first word... I am still thinking it will be milk! Your Nanny and Grandpa from Norfolk are coming to see you next week and they are so excited not having seen you since Christmas. You will impress them with everything you do and everything you are. We are all so proud of you poppet. I can imagine we will share a laugh over the way you lay on your back exploring your toes, and put your foot in your mouth to nibble on it. Once or twice you have bitten yourself with those two lower teeth (that are sharp now) and you look really put out and sometimes cry. You then seem to take comfort from sucking on your foot again.... until you bite it. It's only a matter of time until you master the principle of cause and effect, I am certain.

You are very long now. The health visitor tells me we can't call you tall until you are able to stand - so until then you are 'long'. Maggie and I measured you for your 6 month milestone and you are 2 feet 4 inches already! If you carry on growing so well we think you will be 5 feet 9 inches when you are a grown up. We shall see! You weigh 19lbs 10oz now and you are consistent in your gain. We have swapped you onto follow-on milk now and touch wood it wont affect your night time sleep habit, which is still without fail impeccable. You did wake twice the first night you were suffering with your first common cold, but we knew you needed comforting and in the middle of the night I thought to myself, this is what it's all about. Being here for you when you need us.

Grace dear, before Mummy prattles on and gets way too mushy and sentimental, I will sign off now, but leave you with a snapshot of what is happening in the world, on your 6 month birthday. Remember we love you to the moon and back.

Mummy and Daddy (and Daisy-woof) x x x



So what's going on in the world today? Call this an e-timecapsule if you will...

A can of diet-coke costs 60p from a vending machine.

Diesel is 129.9p per litre.

A cinema ticket costs £7 for a Saturday night showing.

Our favourite red wine: Torres SANGRE DE TORO from Catalunya in Spain costs around £7.44 per bottle.

The movie, 'The King's Speech' is set to top the bill at the Oscars, Baftas and Golden Globes, for actor Colin Firths depiction of King George VI's effort to quash his stutter.

This week Mohammed Hosni Mubarak the Egyptian president has resigned after a 30 year reign. This followed weeks of protests by the people of Egypt.

US marine archaeologists have found the sunken whaling ship belonging to the captain who inspired Herman Melville's classic 19th Century novel, Moby Dick.

Great Train robber Ronnie Biggs has been taken to hospital after suffering a suspected stroke. Originally from Lambeth, south London, Biggs was among a 15-strong gang which attacked the Glasgow to London mail train at Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, in August 1963, making off with £2.6m.

(news items cited from bbc.co.uk/news)

Piccies of Grace to follow when she's less tired :0)

Weaning wonders

Our independent girly takes after her Mummy. Not that I need spoon feeding, more that I am an independent girly. Grace is independent in as much as she refuses to be fed by grown ups. She is just not willing to forgo the power of feeding herself.

Her favourites to date include:
Baked aubergine, baked courgette, garlic bread, toast with olive spread, apple, raw red pepper, steamed broccoli, fromage frais, rice cakes, carrot and steamed baby corn.

And here's a few pics of her efforts. Of course, if it's sloppy she needs a spoon loading for her. After that she's happy going it alone!

Getting prepared for FOOOOD!


Mmm. Porridge!


Oops! Porridge...


Banana & Broccoli.

The Stay at Home Mum.

Me. I am a SAHM. Temporarily at least.

I have a mere three weeks left until I return to work after a break of some seven months. At times I feel it has flown, and at others I feel I have been away from the office for what seems like forever. Life has changed, and will never be the same again. Of course that change, having a baby, has taken getting used to. BIG TIME! And now we're happy with our lot, and have a beautiful little girl who brings light to my life every waking day. Anyhow, back to business. Before I say a sad farewell to being a SAHM for a life of working three days a week (for now), I thought I'd share with you a typical day with Grace.

06:00... Alarm goes off to nudge Matt the Husband out of a warm bed and into his running gear for a training run with The Dog. His goal is the London Marathon this April and he's taking it all rather seriously, hence the early start. I tend to slip back off to sleep, although if I feel the urge I'll get up to shower before having a tidy up around the house while Grace is still sleeping. Sometimes Grace still wakes for an early feed which can be anywhere 4.30am onwards although as a rule she's sleeping through.

07:00... Matt the Husband arrives back, puffing like a donkey pulling a heavy load (and that's only The Dog)... The next hour is spent having breakfast, shipping Matt the Husband off to work and trying to stop The Dog from getting muddy paws on the sofa. Usually around this time, Grace tends to wake up and start chattering to herself - perhaps wondering what's on the menu today. She has a short memory - it's milk. Anyhow, we get her up and dressed, fed and then think about what activities we're going to do today.

08:00 Matt he Husband out of the way, Grace and I tend to read a book or two, or perhaps have a little sing song. I find she's really receptive in the mornings fresh from a long sleep, so we'll usually get through all of her favourites with signing as well.

09:00 Around this time, Grace is starting to show signs of needing a nap so I'll tuck her in upstairs, close the blinds, and give her a kiss goodnight. She sleeps in a sleeping bag now so we don't have to faff with her kicking off the blankets which I am sure has helped with her settling herself back to sleep in the night if she wakes. While she naps, I wash the dishes from breakfast and maybe pop a load of laundry on. It's usually a good time for me to get online to read emails, the news and tend to this blog. The Dog is generally sleepy after her early morning jaunt and it's the only time in the day I regularly get to myself.

10:00 Grace after a nap of around 45 minutes will wake, and we tend to head off then for a play date. Sometimes we head to the Children's Centre in the village, although today we visited Christina and her little boy Dimitris of the same age as Grace. They're starting to show a real interest in each other now, so they lay on the play mat amusing themselves which gives me and Christina the time to put the SAHM life to rights and discuss our worries about returning to work, finances and other such things. Grace usually has her second bottle late morning, so I tend to that, change her nappy and then we sit down to lunch.

12:00 Lunch and more chat over Baby-led weaning over mush feeding and where our thoughts lie on this matter. Christina has started puree feeding with Dimitris and he seems to be taking it well. We're eating soup and bread for lunch, neither of which I would trust Grace with so she stayed playing on the mat having a conversation with a stuffed elephant.



14:00 We make a run for it to miss the school traffic and Grace naps in the car. We manage to get home before she tells me in no uncertain terms she'd like to take her afternoon bottle of milk now Mummy, thank you very much. It's late and I feel a little guilty. Nevertheless Grace forgives easily and merrily took the full 9oz before having some tummy time on the play mat.

15:00 Grace's only regular nap time between 3 and 5pm lets me get chores done, make up her bottles, do some cleaning and spend time with the dog. Grace wakes a few hours later, full of beans and ready for her evening routine.

17:00 Grace and I prepare dinner, her in the Bumbo shaking a wooden spoon, me chopping veggies into big chunks while she watches. We're having mediterranean veg with cous cous tonight. Grace doesn't show a blind bit of interest, although I'm sure she's taking in some of what I'm telling her about home cooking.

18:00 Matt the Husband arrives home and we eat dinner as a family in the kitchen. Grace is getting used to sitting in her highchair although she's still not showing consistent signs to wanting food. We have let her have a play with a piece of carrot and a broccolli spear and we have more planned in, when she's ready.

18:30 I clear up while Matt the Husband takes Grace to the nursery for some play, a bedtime story, and some kick time without her nappy on. He baths her, gives her the last milk of the day, and she's usually asleep by 8pm.

And that's it. Our day. By the time we both sit down to unwind, it's usually around 8.30pm, sometimes a wee bit later. As we like our sleep, we're lucky if we get an hour before we're feeling the need to get some Zzzz's.

Three mere weeks left to this life I have become used to. It's taken me time - I hated being at home in the first weeks after Grace was born. It's been a massive adjustment to make but I rather like it now, and Grace enjoys having me around. I don't know if I could be a permanent SAHM, or whether working full time is right for me either. I suppose working three days a week could be considered a happy medium (although my overdraft provider may feel otherwise!) Time will tell if this is the way forward for Grace and me, but until then, happy days. She's five months old this week, and already Grace is clearly a nice natured little poppet with a smile on her face all through the day. Assuming there is milk.... there must be milk.

So yes, that's an insight into our Daily Routine. It's going to change when I'm back at work, it's inevitable!!

Research Bunnies

In the interests of doing our bit for society, I have signed Grace and myself up for a research study. A Masters student at Bastyr University in the States is looking for volunteers to take part into a study into parents who chose to go down the route of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) for their babies. More specifically, she is investigating the dietary pattern of the parents implementing BLW as the method of choice for introducing solid foods to their infants - the thesis for her Masters is "Baby Led Weaning and the effects in the family diet".

After passing the screening questionnaire, which wanted to know things like if Grace was our first child, whether or not we had read the BLW book by Gill Rapley, and how many days per week Grace would be in non-parental control (e.g. Grandma and Nursery), we were sent a consent form explaining the detail of the study and a consent form for us to sign. It's simple really and we don't need to dedicate a lot of time to it, but I'm pleased to be taking part. Not much is known about BLW as it's still a relatively new concept and doing my bit feels right.

I need to keep a food and drink diary for 3 days running before we start weaning. Then 3 months in, I need to do the same again, but this time also a 3 day diary for Grace too. It's as simple as that. If anyone is interested in participating, leave a comment and I can post details.

No babies or mothers will be harmed in the development of the study.

The Politics of Puree

Weaning.
To gradually introduce what will be adult food to the infant while simultaneously yet slowly reducing the intake of milk, be that breast or formula. It's well recognised that current NHS guidelines suggest delaying weaning until 6 months of age to ensure the digestive system is sufficiently developed and ready to digest 'real' foods. As a strict rule of thumb, the lack of teeth in the baby would suggest the inability to chew and therefore solids as such should be considered a no-no. Thus by process of elimination, one is left to conclude a hand blender or sieve and a steady stream of pureed mush is the food of choice.

We all know or know of this method. We cook carrots (without salt), mush them, and shovel them in with a soft plastic spoon. We might try banana, or sweet potato, perhaps broccoli or pureed pear and apple. Shovel shovel shovel, gobble gobble gobble. (And no, I am not doing an impression of the poultry farmer mucking out the turkey shed). My point is, weaning in general, is about breaking down the foods we offer into a pulp, then offering it to the baby (or forcing it on the baby if we don't pay attention) and we keep control, and everyone's happy. It's the norm. Time consuming maybe - think ice cube trays full of ready mushed green beans, and one gets the picture. Or of course, we could just stock up on convenience jars from the supermarket. Either way, it's just glupe isn't it? I remember my sister rounding off a spoon of pulverised baby food ready to fire into her daughter's open mouth, and I distinctly remember thinking a) yuck, and b) what a faff.

Now a relatively recent concept, Baby Led Weaning, is likely to put the willy's up the older folk, but is now recognised by the World Health Organisation as a suitable alternative method which sees the baby taking control of the transition to solids from milk from the very first stages of weaning.... by self-feeding from the offset.

What???

The WHO indicates the maturity of the digestive system and the baby's ability to cope with the transition to solids will likely be recognised by the external faculties that the baby is ready to wean. Meaning? Well, think about the ability to sit upright (supported perhaps, but nevertheless upright). Now think about the ability to reach out and grasp an object and to be able to direct that object up to the mouth. So that's digestive ability and the fine motor skills mastered - both necessary to self-feed.

So eating or just playing?
It's safe to say the early stages of baby led weaning are exploratory mainly with little food actually ingested - textures, tastes, colours and smell. Coupled with the benefit of copying those eating 'grown up' food at the table - baby's love to mimic and copy. So in a nutshell, instead of offering a spoon of pureed foodstuffs directly into the mouth at each sitting, the baby is offered a variety of finger foods which they can chose from themselves at their own pace. It makes sense. How many babies do you see refusing to eat from a spoon, or making a fuss over the process? And yet chances are the same baby would gladly pick up a baton of carrot and gnaw on it, or maybe just suck on it a while. The point is, the baby is in control and stress free. It's a game in a way. Mum and Dad can relax and eat their meal, while baby has a go on their own.

Weird? No, just different. Messy? Definitely. (Well, I say that, I have no experience of it yet, but I do have visions of spaghetti bolognese splatted over the dogs nose and half way up the wall).

My plan hence, is to offer soft foods to begin with - soft fruits and vegetables, or steamed vegetables softened so even a toothless gum can chew on them. Something the size of a chunky chip - big enough to provide a handle for Grace to grab hold of, leaving enough free for her to suck/chew on without it getting lost in her fist.

Choking? Yes, its a possibility. But it is with spoon feeding too, in fact more so. Think about it. Mum's spooning apple mush into baby's mouth, there's a few lumps in it, baby gags on it as she can't keep up with Mum's pace. It happens. Compare that to baby led weaning. Yes, its possible baby with pop too much in, but chances are she will be able to roll it back to the front of her mouth or cough it back to the front or out.... in principle - the ability to chew develops after the ability to grasp and place things in the mouth, and thus the baby's development keeps pace with the ability to process the food.

Fan or fearful, Matt the Husband and I have decided on baby led weaning as our route forward for Grace. She isn't 6 months yet, but she is showing signs of being ready. We can't go wrong really- we're taking it at Grace's pace. If she does nothing but pick the food up, that's fine, it's progress. If she picks it up, sucks on it a bit then drops it on the floor, that's also fine. When she is ready, she will start to chew and swallow. Until then, it's just fun and learning. A playtime in the kitchen where she wont go hungry as she will already be fuelled by her milk. And when she is ready, she'll cut back on her milk intake by herself.

Decision made, I'll let you know how we get on. We're excited, and Grace seems keen to be in her highchair now too...



Acknowledgements to the authors of "Baby Led Weaning", Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett for their inspiration. Thank you!