Being Mum ...

Thank you. And sorry.

I understand I haven’t posted in a few weeks. Iv been going through some things. Since I stopped breastfeeding I finally felt my hormones dip and it’s best I didn’t comment on my mothering experiences as I wasn’t feeling so optimistic. And that’s obviously on me not the boys. Presley is now 22 weeks and is thriving. He says mama and can sit up for a few minutes at a time and he is so close to rolling over. He has now transitioned fully onto formula and I have finally dried up. And now he’s used to it again he’s back to sleeping through. With the odd exception. He is very much a mummy’s boy and prefers to have cuddles with me to go to sleep. He still has three naps during the day. But they are getting shorter. So I think I will start to reduce it to one in the morning and one after lunch but before tea. Ready for him to go to bed at 7-8. This is a routine he’s put himself in. It might have something to do with Hendrix going to bed at 6 and Marley at 7 and so after they are in bed it’s finally calm enough for him to settle. Monster and I are already talking about the next baby. Watch this space.

18/19 weeks old. Iv been a bit behind these last few weeks. We have made the choice to stop breastfeeding. Well I didn’t make that choice Presley did but I’m going with the flow. I’m slowly pumping off the pressure and he had his last feed from me yesterday. Managing 5 months is pretty good considering It has been an up hill battle since 3 months. But I’m happy to get my body back after 14 months. Presley is now sitting for short period last of time and will say mama only when he’s crying. And since switching to formula the crying sessions is become less because he’s not waiting on my let down. Lazy toad.

Whoops. This is almost a week late. Presley is now 17 weeks old. He is now on a mix of breastmilk and formula. Only because of his teething. He won’t take to me unless he’s half asleep or in the mood. I hope to remove formula completely when he’s feeling more like himself. Well. It will go one of two ways. He might be a fully formula fed baby by then. At this point I’m only continuing because I am not ready to give up at this point. I think I will be when he can hold his own bottle. Little dude can sit up by himself. But I put that down to the fact that he is a little chunk. As of last week he weighed 17lb 5oz. So he’s on the 75th percentile and only on the 25th for his height. Little man is stocky. He’s still sleeping through. But I imagine that’s going to mess up a little bit with the clocks going forward.

Safe to say we have cracked this bedtime malarkey. 10 o’clock on the dot and I won’t see him again until 7am. I have given this a a few weeks to see if it’s a fluke. But it looks like he’s sleeping through. I honestly thought him being breastfed would mean he was up more in the night. Lucky mummy.

This little chunk is 16 weeks old. I know this is late but Iv been taking some time for my mental health. Now that my periods are back my hormones are all over the place and I’m struggling to find some level ground. It hasn’t helped that Presley has been difficult this last week. He spent most of yesterday screaming. Nothing would settle him. He’s much better today and he spent all last night feeding. So I think it was a combination of growing and teething. He also reacts to all of Hendrixs usual toddler temper tantrums. I thought he was done with breastfeeding but he’s picked it back up again. And I feel like I’m battling with mastitis. The under of my left boob is so painful I can’t wear a bra. But I’m hoping I can fix it myself. I don’t want to have to take medication which will make me feel more shit.

Not gonna lie. Iv not missed it.

This little bud is 15 weeks old and has started sleeping 11pm-7am and I couldn’t be prouder. He sits for a solid few minutes (never left unsupervised ofcourse) and is teething like mad. He has been super clingy these last few days and Iv put it down to teething and growing. So all he’s doing is feeding and sleeping.

14 weeks old. My poor love has has a hell of a week. Because he’s struggling with his teeth he has been fussing at the boob. So that’s super stressful for me too. To the extent I nearly called it a day on Friday. Thankfully I stuck to it and he is feeding as normal now. He’s still a snot box but that’s to be expected. He’s sleeping better and has more happier moments during the day.

Hendrix and Marley are at each others throats all the time. Marley can’t take Hendrix fighting back. So there is a lot of screaming in this mummy’s house and shockingly none of it is coming from me.

13 weeks! This little love is so close to sitting up on his own. He pulls himself to sit up all the time. He has also started teething pretty bad. He drools all the time. He changes everyday and along with splashing in the bath and Marley his favourite things are belly tickles and mummy’s kisses. I have never been more in love as I am with my children right now. My heart is so full.

12 weeks. It’s hard to think that this time last year I had just conceived this little love. Also means I haven’t had a period for a year. Winner. Also hard to believe that this is 12 weeks out the womb when I do clearly remember 12 weeks in the womb. We have just got back from his 12 week vacations and he barely woke up for them. We had maybe 30 seconds of grumbling and then straight back to sleep. He is currently on boob strike. Getting him to feed from me is becoming hard work and I don’t know if I should take this as his cue to go onto bottle feeding. I’m not ready yet though. I enjoy feeding him myself. That and he throws up any formula we give him so I don’t think that’s an option. And I really don’t have the effort to pump all the time. I will have to discuss it with my health visitor because I think he might be ready for some solids. We very nearly have giggles out of him and he smiles all the time. But only settles for me. He doesn’t like anyone else lol.

11 weeks old. This week has been all about keeping my tiny humans comfortable. Hendrix has only just started perking up. He’s done nothing but sleep for a week. Yesterday was hell. Monster got called into work and I had to deal with Hendrix screaming cause he wanted his dad (still and daddy’s boy) and Presley screaming because he wants me. Me crying because I wasn’t well enough to deal with any of it. I think I have a chest infection. And the fevers are sitting me on my arse. Just when I think I feel better BAM! I’m sweating and feeling like a trucks just run over me. I woke up feeling slightly better today. I’m trying not to cough all the crap off my chest so I can function without pain. Presley on the other hand seems to be doing so well. He has a cough. It’s a little wet sounding but it doesn’t appear to be bothering him. He’s been sleeping 10ish - 6am most of this week. And I don’t know if this is a permanent thing or because he’s poorly. If it’s something that’s going to be sticking around I’m going to need to set cot up for him. He’s growing so fast. So far his favourite thing in the whole world is is big brother. He can’t get enough of Marley.

I’m dying a death. It’s really hard to be ill when you need to be around to breastfeed.

All three of my kids have got this sickness bug. Marley threw up on another child on Tuesday at school and this morning Hendrix woke up with a fever. Presley has been through 4 sets of clothes today. 3 pukey messes and 1 poop explosion and has done nothing but sleep. Monster had the sam bug on Sunday so he’s back at work and not having to deal with it. I’m the only one in my house that hasn’t been ill. And thank god for that cause who would be cleaning up the puke and seeing to everyone’s needs. I’ve taken to writing a list of jobs in the house that needs doing on my hand so I don’t forget half way through cause I’m forever darting off to see to the boys. If I get this bug I hope it’s tomorrow and Saturday because I’m not sure what I’m meant to do if I’m ill and monsters not here to help out. Fingers crossed I don’t get it at all.

10 weeks old and his favourite sleeping position is still sleeping on my chest. Not going to lie. I love it. All he seems to be doing these last few days is sleep and eat. He has started screaming to the point of no calming him down if you don’t get a boob in his mouth the instant he decides. He smiles all the time. Big gummy smiles. And it makes the random bouts of screaming tolerable. We have had one giggle in the last week and he hasn’t done it since.