6mths - Loving the interaction

Dear William

This month has been full of learning for both of us.

You started solids this month and we haven’t looked back.
You enjoy food much like your father and Grandfather, and have only rejected a meal once. Which I think was due to the celery that was in it. Like most of us you love sweet foods and get very excited at any fruit that is offered. And over the month you have been more ready to hold your own fruit and suck away on it. Some of the foods which you have tried and loved are;
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Avocado
• Yogurt
• Apple
• Pear
• Banana
• Strawberry
• Prunes (needed when you were constipated)
• Vitabrits

Not really sure about eatting apple this way

You have always been an easy boy to look after, you always drank well and when it was bed time you very rely gave me any issues. But after two weeks of having you fuss at the breast and cry when going to bed, I was a mess so the other mums at mothers group said to see a doctor. The original plan was to obtain a referral for sleep clinic, however after talking doctor a while he suggested to try some reflux medication. As soon as you started taking this medication out good little boy was returned to us. While it was a very hard and trying time for me, it has made me realise how lucky that you are such a relaxed and well behaved little baby boy.

For the first time your Dad looked after you while I went out. It was a very relaxing night out with other fist time mums for me. But I came home to a very tried and stressed Dad. You refused to go to bed and any milk that Dad tried to give you, and only passed out from sheer exhaustion about 20mins before I arrived home. The following night both of us went out and Nan and Pa looked after you. They had a very similar experience, and managed to get you to sleep in the pram after many works around the court. Some of the issue could have been that you had only just started on the reflux medication, but I think a lot of it might have been separation anxiety.

You started to roll this month. The first time was in front of your Pa and myself which was from your front to your back. Over the coming weeks you would roll from your back to your front but NEVER in front of me. It started me thinking that this could be a sign that you’re going to be very independent and prefer to keep things close to your chest. Oh I do hope I’m wrong, I hoping with all my might that you will always share things with me. I finally saw you roll from your back to your front on the 8th time and your Dad saw you roll on the 10th (4-10 rolls were on your 6mth birthday). While you have mastered the back to front roll you very rarely roll back to your back and call for me to give you a hand.

You have become more aware of your surrounds and turn around when you hear things (especially your Dad) walking up behind you, while I’m feeding you in the highchair. Or you will stop drinking to listen to your dad and I talk. But I would have to say the one thing that draws our attention the most is watching you watch Eddie the cat walk past you or when your both on the floor and checking each other out.

I’ve loved being your mum but have found that this month I’ve really started to enjoy it more. The interaction that we have together is now there in abundance and I can see you react to things I do and say. I get a lot of enjoyment from seeing you rub your little chubby hand over your head when you’re tired (which is a new thing) and I’m now enjoying breastfeeding more as you rest your hand on the top of my breast and sometimes squeeze it and each time I wonder if you do it to help the milk run faster or just because you like the feel. I love the way you rub your fingers over textures and smile or laugh when people talk to you.

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 5mths – started solids (Pear and Banana Farex). Nan and Pa babysit you for the first time and you had your first bath with Priya.
• 23 weeks – begins to roll and become more aware of your surrounds
• 24 weeks – you begin to turn circles on your belly and watches/follows the cat. You also started to show signs of anger with your teeth moving. Jess took your photo for your first modelling gig and you had your first meet, great and photo with Santa

1st Modeling gig - Bubeewrap

• 25 weeks – you start to rub your hand over your right ear and began to roll from back to front. You enjoyed your first bath in your big boy bath. • 6mths – now rolling from back to front efficiently and you to raise your arms to be lifted from your car seat and pushing your arms through the sleeves of your clothes. Your now weighing in at 8.685kgs, you’re a solid little boy. You opened your first Christmas present with much joy and excitement.

A few more photos of some what you've been up to.

Sarah thinking that if you were awake that you might eat her

Enjoying chilling in the bouncer

Lazing in the window soaking up some rays of sun

Helping mum in the kitchen

This month your Gran and Grandpa emailed you a birthday message.
Congratulations on 8 turns William, and a happy six months, we are glad that you are well and eating your food, tell Mum she has done a very good job. We are looking forward to seeing on Christmas Day with Mum and Dad .
Much Love your Grandparents.

With every day you give me so much more love and joy, happy 6mth Birthday my little man.

5mth Little...... your getting bigger by the day

Dear William

This month it was started with a party, sorry little man not a party for you. It was a party for Mick and Mel, while they were calling it ‘The last freedom party’ it was a party to celebrate them soon becoming parents. You loved the party, especially keeping an eye on all the pretty young blonds. As you get older William, please be gentle with young ladies hearts.

Your still growing just as fast as you have been over the last few months. There are days were I pick you up from a sleep and think, gee you weren’t’ this heavy a few hours ago? You smile and laugh more and it makes all the hard moments disappear. Your smile and laughter is priceless and I will often tickle you just to steal a moment of pure bliss. You have also started to give me kisses, they are rather sloppy but I love them and they melt my heart. Your Dad has often accused me of stealing kisses from him, now I’m also stealing kisses from you. By the end of the month your almost giving me kisses on queue…. Thanks little man!!

You were accepted by a modelling agency this month. But we decided that we wouldn’t sign you up just yet, instead we will just see if we can get you work though contacts that I already have and by contacting companies directly. If you seem to enjoy it and it gives you more confidence (as you get older) we will then look into it then.

You were also Christened this month. You were such a good little boy especially since you were overtired by the time it was you moment in the spot light. You took the water and oil like a man and you looked to even enjoy it. Jess took lots of photos and you were past around all the guests and even enjoyed lunch at the pub, you seem to enjoy watching what was going on. All in all you had about 10min sleep from 8am in the morning until about 8pm that night as you didn’t want to go to bed when we got home as you were so over tired it was hard to get you to relax and go to sleep. Your Godmother Lucy couldn’t get enough of you and while we were disappointed that Godfather Mick wasn’t there, we were super happy for him as he was busy helping Auntie Mel bring their little daughter into this world. They named her Sarah-Iris Scholz, and we would like to point out that he initials spell SIS, do we need to make it any clearer. Godmother Lucy dedicated her weekly blog to you http://lovememyblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/dear-william.html

We have had a few issues with you feeding and sleeping towards that end of this month but I’m hopeful that Dr Louise can help with your shoulder and neck which seems to be causing you a little pain. And then you will not only be a good little boy at play but a fantastic little boy all day and night long.

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 4mths – Went to your first adults party (Mick and Mel’s Last Freedom Party)
• 18 weeks – Started blowing raspberries/bubbles and have great fun doing so.
• 19 weeks – You found your feet
• 20 weeks – You rolled ¾ of the way over. And you started grabbing at mum’s face
• 21 weeks – Christening and Fingers surfaces feeling the different texture (especially the rubber floor
• 5mths and 1 day – You had your first meal of Farex, pear and banana flavour.

Boy and his best friend

1st bath in a bath ring

Ready for Gymbaroo

Happy 5mth Birthday my growing boy

4mths and your still melting my heart

Dear William

My little boy; I’m sorry to say that this was the first month that wasn’t all about you. This month you had to share with the spot light with Uncle Barry who turned 30, myself with my own birthday and start working from home again and the all important (in Dad’s eyes) AFL Grand Final. As it turned out not just one Grand Final but two due to Collingwood and St Kilda drawing in the first.

You grew just as fast the month flew past and grew more aware of your surrounds.
I still have many moments were I just want to hold you tight and not let you go, I wonder how long this will last and hope that you will always look at me with love, happiness and trust.

This month saw us not only leaving you with baby sitters once but twice as there was two Grand Finals this year due to Collingwood and St Kilda drawing the first. While I was a little worried about how the sitters would handle looking after you all afternoon I was more worried about how you would behave for them as we had never been separated. But you were very well behaved by all reports.

All ready for the 1st Grand Final

All ready for the 2nd Grand Final

I celebrated my 32nd birthday this month. While it was a little overshadowed this year due to Uncle Barry’s Birthday and the Grand Final it was really nice to receive a card from your father thanking me for being an awesome wife and mother. And a card from you that Dad helped you with, thanking me for carrying you for 9mth, bringing you into this world and feeding and changing your dirty bottom. Becoming a mother was the most important thing that I could do and when you arrived it was as if all my hopes and dreams were answered. Celebrating my birthday with you and your father was everything I could have hoped for and the hugs and kisses given to me that morning is a memory that will live forever.

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 14 weeks – started to grow out of 000, had your 1st giggle with sound
• 14 ½ weeks – God Father babysat you while we went to the Collingwood v’s St Kilda Grand Final. Went to Echuca for Uncle Barry’s Birthday
• 15 weeks – Started pulling out dummy and grabbing/holding toys. Now laughs when I tickle you and loves nappy time when I leave your nappy off for a little while.
• 15 ½ weeks – Right hand found knee/leg. You were babysat by dad’s work colleague while we went to the Grand Final Replay
• 16 weeks – left hand found knee/leg
• 17 weeks /4mth – Started to sleep 11-12hrs (8-9 to 7-7:30) and went to your first adult’s party and didn’t mind all the noise. You couldn’t keep your eyes of the pretty blonds.

14.5 weeks - Photo taken for Pumkin Patch Photo comp (Photo by Jess)

Too Cool - 4mths

Happy Birthday my sweet little boy.

3 Months - You've grown so much in such a short time

Dear William

Other month has passed (okay and a few days) and if it is at all possible you are more precious to me each and every day. There are moments in the day were I want to continue holding you, and the only reason I don’t is that I know that it’s better to put you in your cot to sleep or very unsafe to cuddle you while daddy drives us home.

With each day that passes your eyes become clearer and a little more blue. Your eyes pop when I dress you in blue, when we are stopped by strangers (which is at least once to twice a week) they always comment on your gorgeous eyes. When we visited Nanna and Pa this month they said that you had the same eyes as me when I was a baby and that was the reason why they use to call me possum. But I think you have penguin eyes.

A little while ago I decided that I would decorate your room with a jungle theme. And while I started on this, I hadn’t made any great progress. However this month I managed to turn your boring light into a something a little more special.

Light shade attachment that I brought from Aldi to make-over

All finished

With the light turned on

To date the only time you have ever left my side or I’ve left you, has been either while you were sleeping or while your dad or grandparents have taken you for a walk. It’s not because I haven’t wanted to but as there hasn’t been a reason too (you are my shadow). As the footie year drew near to the end and Collingwood looked more and more like they might be in the grand final I started to express and freeze milk in the off chance that they were. The time has now come and I’m now mentally having to deal with the idea of leaving you with someone else. The last few days I have been debating this issue with myself and talking it over with your dad. I’m looking forward to getting out and enjoying something without the worry about looking after you, and every time I think that I instantly think our selfish that is and that you are my responsibility. I love you and looking after you is such a special gift, I feel like I’m being such a bad mother for even contemplating the idea. But a number of people, including your dad have said that we need time out as a couple every now and again as well as the fact that you will be looked after by people that love you and that you will never remember that I left you to watch a football game. And the last thing your dad keeps saying is that one day you will tell me off if I didn’t go and see Collingwood win the 2010 premiership and I would never be able to relive the stories year after year.

I’ve also lost my voice now; right at the time you have decided to talk nonstop. It’s so hard to want to talk to you for you to talk back to me. I hear have conversations with your dad and while it’s such a joy to hear it makes it so much harder for me. Luckily it will only be for a day or so.

Below are some of the things we got up to this month.
· 9 weeks – You smile and give silent giggles to us. You did your 1st 10hrs between feeds. We had to bath you for the 1st time due to an explosion in your nappy
· 10 weeks – You now put both hands in your mouth when your concentrating on filling your nappy. Had your immunisations
· 10 ½ weeks – You enjoyed the Gymbaroo demonstration at mothers group. Went on our first road trip (just the two of us) to Nan’s and Pa’s.

Resting with Pa

· 11 weeks - I completed my 1st lot of freelance work since your birth
· 12 weeks – You now generally have 2 dirty nappies in a row and the rest are just wet in a day. We went to our first Gymbaroo session
· 13 weeks – You now enjoy sucking your thumb and pointer fingers on your left hand

Reading with Dad

You enjoy bath times

Just Chilling

Playing and talking under your play gym

HAPPY 3RD MONTH BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN

What....... your all ready 2mths Old

Dear William

2mths ago you entered our world and changed our lives forever. There have been some challenging times but for every one of these moments there have been a dozen more of pure delight. Every moment of every day we thank you for filling our lives with love and joy.

There were many tears on the day or your arrival, mainly from me; but be assured they were all due to the over whelming happiness that flooded over us as we laid eyes on you for the first time. We spent 9mths waiting and trying to prepare ourselves for your arrival, but while we were busy preparing your room and making sure we had everything we needed to bring you home, we weren’t prepared for the feelings that suddenly rushed over us the moment you entered.

His all ours

Auntie Lucy was there to share the experience of your arrival (she was backup for your Dad, encase the blood and bits got too much for him). Even though you Dad was wonderful and was by my side at all times, Auntie Lucy was there for me in ways that Dad wasn’t and as a man couldn’t have been. For the strength that she gave me that day, I’m forever grateful. I know that the day was very special for her and she will hold it close to her heart. And she welcomed you to the world with a tribute on her blog http://lovememyblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/welcome-to-world-william-george.html

After the midwifes helped me give you your first feed they said that they would take you to the nursery and look after you so that I could have a good night’s sleep. I suddenly felt a protective instinct kick in as I instantly didn’t like the idea of you leaving my side, however before I answered I took a quick moment to think about how exhausted I was and that I needed all the rest I could find for the days that laid ahead. The biggest hurdle in the first few days for me was the feeding (it was so painful to start with, something that I wasn’t ready for) and accepting the fact that I needed an afternoon nap (in the past I hadn’t been good doing but quickly found a lot of comfort in curling up after your afternoon tea).

The 2nd hurdle was when I couldn’t settle you for the 2nd night in a row; I had been determined not to lean on the midwifes too much, but come that night I had to call for help as I was completely exhausted and in tears. Looking back I think some of it may have also been the case of the baby blues.

The 3rd hurdle was on the 4th day when the midwifes and paediatrician informed us that we had to put you under the UV lights as you had a bit of Jaundice. I missed you terribly as you spent the next few days and nights in your little sun bed, and I missed giving you lots of hugs and kisses. After I fed and changed you and put you back under the lights I would stand and watch you fall back to sleep and have tears role down my face; I just wanted to be able to hold you and have you lay beside me at night. While you were busy sleeping and soaking up the UV’s, I was busy expressing milk as you had made my nipples bleed (by the way; at the end of the first 24hrs I felt like a cow) and trying to find a few hours sleep.

I miss you being by my side

The day finally came when we could bring you home, we were so excited and nervous that day. Excited that we were finally going home were we would truly become a family, but nervous as we didn’t have the midwifes to lean on for help. However we settled into our new lives well, straight away you slept well in your new bed and while you quickly decided that you weren’t going to sleep much through the day you were generally a well behaved little boy. The hardest thing for me to cope with was the breast feeding, if it wasn’t for Kris turning up on the 2nd day at home I think I would have given up. It was a real challenge to work through the pain of breastfeeding; however it’s now a dream and so easy and convenient compared to bottle feeding that I’m glad that Kris made me work through the pain.

1st Day Home

Once I had found my feet with our new life I quickly found time to get back into the kitchen. It turns out that it’s a place for me to sort of escape and feel normal. However, this quickly turned into a dilemma when what I was cooking gave you severe wind. But once we worked out that I should avoid onions and chick peas (have also been told cabbage) you were happier and in turn your dad and myself.

28th June

Even though we knew we were parents it really hit us for the first time when the three of us went to Mick and Mel’s for dinner 2½ weeks after you were born. We had just started driving out of our street and I said to your dad; “Doesn’t this feel surreal? We are now parents heading to Mick and Mel’s, and what makes it more surreal is that they are expecting their own little person. We are now grownups!”. So you fully understand the depth of all of this, you need to know that before Mel was pregnant Mel wasn’t overly keen on having a child/children.

Below are some of the things that we got up to;
· 3 weeks – For the first time you enjoyed and fall asleep in the BabyBjorn (while I finished preparing dinner)
· 3½ weeks – I walked to the letter box up by the Apollo Park Primary School with you in the BabyBjorn. It was a good work out. We had a good afternoon nap that afternoon, we both cuddled up on my bed.
· Almost 4 weeks – Rode the bus to Greensborough shopping centre for the 1st time. You also found your little voice on the same day (12/7/10)
· 5 weeks – Started having 2hr feeds thought the day but rewarded with your had your first 8.5hrs between feeds (wasn’t over night)
· 5½ weeks – Went to your first football match; Collingwood v’s Richmond. Collingwood won! On the same day you also enjoyed your first train ride, 1st time back driving and with you by myself and 1st time I breast feed you in public
· Almost 6 weeks – You moved into 000 clothes
· 6 weeks – We know see real smiles without them being wind related
· 6½ weeks – Started attending Mothers Group and you slept through the night for the first time.
· 7 weeks – Now sleeping through the nights consistently. Last feed between 7-8pm with morning feed between 4-6am. Your hair started to fall out and you know way 5kgs.
· 7½ weeks – Went to the library for the first time; Nursery and Rhyme Time
· Almost 8 weeks – Found your right fist
· 8 weeks – Found your left fist and now back to 3hr feeds. Your also almost out of your newborn nappies
· 2mths – Had your first 10hrs between feeds and your almost giggling now. Your head is starting to look like your Grate Grandpa Davies (a little hair on top with a bit at the lower back). You had your first number 3 (poo explosion worthy of a bath)

3rd July

24th July - 1st footie match

25th July

HAPPY 2nd MONTH BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE MAN