Confessions Of A New Mum

Okay Mamas, it's time to confess. What crazy, funny, a little odd, and possibly embarrassing pregnancy and parenting stories do you all have?!

1) I have told people that Florence is teething when she starts fussing in public.

2) Sleep deprivation is the blame for everything, even on days when I'm not tired. Overflowing laundry basket - tired. Not wanting to cook - tired. Not getting dressed until 3.30pm - tired. 

3) I started wearing gigantic granny knickers after my Caesarean. I am still wearing them.

4) I use Florence to get out of social situations and I am not ashamed to admit it.

5) Florence was sick in my hair once. I forgot about it and didn't wash it for two days.

6) The same goes for clothes.

7) I sometimes watch Chris sleeping peacefully while I'm up at night with Florence and imagine punching him in the face.

8) And when he tells me he's tired.

9) And when he moans when I ask him to do something.*

10) There are some nights where I just have to sit down in the shower.

11) Four hours of broken sleep is a good nights sleep.

12) Baby wipes are the Holy Grail of cleaning tools. From wiping down the high chair to washing the sick out of your hair.

13) I wash the same clothes twice (at least) before I get around to hanging them out to dry.

14) Some days I cry more than Florence does. 

15) I once tried using Dentinox as a sleep aid. It didn't work.

16) Sleep over intimacy. Who has time for that anymore?!

17) I can't go a day without crying. Whether it's over a video, program, film, song, news article. I am so sensitive now! 

18) I have lied about feeling unwell just so I can have five minutes uninterrupted time to myself.

19) I'm 99.9% sure that I fell asleep on the toilet once. 

20) I've questioned whether I have remembered to put Florence in the car or if I have left her in the shop/restaurant/park.

*Dear Chris, I am sure you'll read this at some point. Please don't be alarmed, I don't love you any less but sometimes I really really resent you. Lots of love xxx*

Florence's Four Month Update

Weight

When we went to the Children’s Health Clinic on Monday Florence weighed 13lb 1oz. She has almost doubled her birth weight! She’s been quite poorly this week so I am hoping that she has still gained a good amount of weight when I take her to be weighed next week!

Daily Routine

During the day Florence still follows the pattern of Bottle, Playtime, Nap, Bottle, Playtime, Nap. We have moved Florence’s bedtime a little earlier again, and now start running her bath at 6.30pm. Before we start her bedtime routine we either have a last play to tire her out, or wind down with a massage using Earth Friendly Baby Moisturising Shea ButterMassage Oil. We tend to alternate Florence having “short” and “long baths.” For example, on Monday she’ll have a big bath using her Baby Neck Float and on Tuesday she’ll have a small bath using her Angelcare Bath Support.

Chris has now taken over Florence’s bedtime so I can get on with boring jobs such as washing, ironing, cooking dinner, or washing the bottles! Florence has been really snuffly lately, so after her bath Chris rubs Snufflebabe Vapour Rub onto her chest and feet, and turns on the Calpol Vapour Plugin! She is then changed into her night time Pampers Baby Dry nappy, clean pyjamas, and has her last bottle!

Florence had started to sleep really well. She would go down at 7.15/7.30pm and not wake for a bottle until around 2.30/3.00am. However, it now seems that the 4-Month Sleep Regression has reared its ugly head and now she has started waking for an 11pm bottle again, and another 2-3 times a night. It is exhausting! She does have better nights than others and will still occasionally sleep until 1.30/2.00am.

Eating

Florence now drinks 5oz at almost every feed. While we are out we use the Aptamil Ready Made Bottles and she will occasionally 6-6.5oz. We have just introduced Florence to water! In the morning I make up a small bottle of cooled, boiled water and she’ll have a few sips over the course of the day.

Clothes

Florence is still wearing 0-3 sleepsuits and has just started to wear her “real” clothes such as dresses, leggings, and blouses! I don’t think that it’ll be too long before we are sorting out her 3-6 month sleepsuits though, she is so long!

Development

Grabbing – Florence has started grabbing toys when you put them in front of her eye line. She especially loves playing with the dangling Zebra toy on her Bright Starts Spots and Stripes Playmat, and her Winkel Rattle which is perfect for her little hands to grab!

Rolling – Florence can now roll from her tummy to her back, and there have been times where we’ve left her on her back and when we come back she’s rolled onto her front! I haven’t seen her actually roll from her back to her tummy though.

Thumb Sucking – Florence has recently found her hands and does not stop sucking on them! She now sucks her thumb when she sleeps, it is so adorable!