project gratitude: 0908

September 8- Today I am grateful for our lovely neighbours who came over for dinner tonight.
And for the fun I had at spotlight choosing fabric for my quilt today. :)

project gratitude: 0907

September 7- Today I am grateful for mother's intuition that reminds me I don't have to follow what an 'expert' suggests or thinks best for my baby. Sometimes mother does know best and there's always another expert to support your way of thinking anyway!

Matilda @ 8 months

At 8 months Matilda...

• weighs 9040g (85th percentile). This is a loss of weight from last month, possibly due to croup.
•  is 71cm long (83rd percentile)
• has a head circumference of 45.5cm (94th percentile)
• still is in crawler nappies and wears 00/0 clothes
• has had a HUGE month of development, milestones and first words!
• she crawls ALL OVER the house
• top right front tooth #4 (11/8/12) 
• said 'mum, mum' consistently (10/8/12)
• clapped her hands (26/8/12)
• top right incisor tooth #5 (31/8/12) 
• said 'dad' consistently (2/9/12- Father's Day!)
• sat up from a crawling position- I walked into her bedroom and she was sitting in her cot after a nap! (6/9/12)
• sounds like she says 'yesssss' and 'hi!' when she waves.
• LOVES drinking water. She would drink all day long if I let her! She gets very excited when sitting in her 'high chair' and her cup is offered. She puts out her arms, opens her mouth and 'grabs' with her fingers!
• spent 3 nights with us at the O'Connell Family Centre and did a lot of learning about sleep and settling. Before our visit, Tilly had spent the last 4+ months being breastfed to every sleep she had, ever since her colic and reflux returned. It had got to the stage where she would sleep for a maximum of 45mins at a time during the day, she would take hours and require constant resettling and feeding to get to sleep at night and then only sleep for hour stretches often. We were co-sleeping most nights. This all meant that I had literally 20min maximum alone time at a time and I was physically and emotionally exhausted, though I didn't realise it fully at the time. You just continue on and do it- there's no real other option!  Since returning home we have continued to make some good progress but there is still room for improvement. I'm very aware that this time in a bub's life there is LOTS of growth and development happening that is notoriously bad for sleep and I'm cool with that. Most of all I care that she feels safe, happy and well rested, which she is! The biggest changes have included implementing an eat/play/sleep routine where she feeds 4hrly, no more feeding to sleep, resettling for day sleeps that are less than 1hr (she is napping usually between 70-90mins/nap sometimes with 1 resettle), we do a dream feed and she is sleeping for longer stretches at night, sometimes the magical 5hours! Hugely for me, not feeding to sleep means that I can have the option of leaving Tilly for more than 2hrs and Tobes has been able to put her down at night. AMAZING! (the baby connect app has been a real help to us to track what she's doing).       
• is still called Tilly Bear most of the time
• had her first visit from a doctor at home and struggled for a good week with the heaviest cold that developed into croup. Lots of cuddles, some medicine and the humidifier on in her room for all sleeps helped us through. As did lovely friends who blessed us with some cooked dinners. 
• is beginning to get back into solids more. She still eats nothing compared to most of her friends but we have seen a big leap in her intake. She still loves chewing (and spitting out) and swallowing some finger food but new puree favourites are pear, pear/sweet potato/chicken/zucchini, and pear/apple/cinnamon.
• crawls ALL OVER the house! Still mainly commando crawling at this stage but she is starting to get up on her knees and to rock back and forth.
• LOVES Basil! We always know where he is because she is watching, smiling and giggling at him! Most mornings when we get up she quickly crawls over to his tower and lays back watching him. He is her favourite toy, followed closely by his toys! ;)

• would like to crawl into the shower with me in the mornings! I now make a barricade with pillows and she plays peekaboo with me as I quickly shower. I wonder how long this will last for? (one Saturday morning she did get to have a play!)
• is all about buttons! She can find a button or a zip on an item of clothing from a mile away and will happily play with it for ages.
• has grown a good head of hair.
• loves mirrors. She pats herself and babbles away when looking into her reflection or the reflection of someone else.
• has become a mummy's girl. This has coincided with teeth at times I think but if she's upset when going down to bed ever, she will stop crying as soon as I walk into the room. Cheeky girl! Soon it will be all about dad though. :)
• loves reading her books. She crawls over to her book basket and seeks out her Baby's Best Friend book (20c from the library!) and pats or kisses the babies faces. Too cute. Before each nap we read her a book. Usually Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, My Baby is God's or That's Not My... books (bunnt, puppy, polar bear or tiger).
• is learning to blow kisses. She puckers up and smacks her lips all the time already.
• grinds her teeth. :( It is horrible but short lived when she is teething.
• is the love of our lives and brings us lots of joy!

Here is the gorgeous girl! 

project gratitude: 0906

September 6- Today, tonight in particular, as crass as it may sound, I am grateful for boobs and the magical powers they have to calm and comfort Tilly in times like tonight when absolutely nothing else works!

And I have an 8 month old! Update tomorrow if all goes to plan.

project gratitude: 0905

September 5- Today I am grateful for roast lamb dinners. Seriously good.
AND Tilly settling herself this afternoon and then sleeping for 50mins, resettling and going another 1hr 20mins! A first time for everything!

project gratitude: 0904

September 4- Today I am grateful for this time of the day. Until we went to sleep school I'd not had any luck with a 'dream feed'. Tilly always woke up or continued to expect another feed an hour later so I stopped offering one. Now, every night around this time I get to pick up a sleeping Tilly and have a quiet snuggly time with her as she carries on sleeping and breastfeeding. I still believe and find it amazing that God has created my body to sustain her life both in the womb and in the world. Incredible!

I'm also grateful for Tilly's latest trick... Puckering up and making kisses or smacking her lips. Absolutely adorable!

project gratitude: 0903

September 3- Today I am grateful for TWO walks around the lake in this sunny, springy weather!

Father's Day 2012

I am blessed to both have a great dad and to be married to a great dad.

Men that love their kids and that are committed to their wives. 

Who are protective of their families.

Who are hands on and involved with the little ones and who love strongly.

After a torturous teething night, it was nice to share a low key family day today.  

Once the panadol kicked in at 5:30am we enjoyed 2hrs sleep before we got up and Tobes got his loot! Yesterday we bought some special beers for him but he also got a onesie that I made for Tilly to wear (see pics above) and some hankies! ;) I cooked us a yummy breakfast then once Tilly went down for her nap, we did too! Poor Tobes didn't get any more sleep but I got a blissful 100mins!!! 

Before we knew it mum and dad were here and we enjoyed a simple lunch. The boys had a nap on the couch, mum and I chatted. Tobes and I finished the day with a walk around the lake, bidding farewell to mum and dad from there.    

Thank you dad and Tobes for all that you do for us. We love you and thank God for you.

xoxo

Oh... how could I forget, Tilly had her own gift for Tobes this morning. She came in to our room and didn't stop saying 'dad' for the morning!

project gratitude: 0902

September 2- Today I am grateful for dad's. More on that to come!