Jack Of All Trades

This little peanut is 7 months old today! 🥳🎂 and what a busy month he’s had! The first tooth popping out on 05.10 at 6.5 months, the second one 8 days later - the baby shark can already cause some serious damage 🦈 We’ve had such adventures with breakfasts and lunches and dinners, which are all such exciting and fun times! Current favourites include asparagus, crunchy spinach, rice, bread, pasta, porridge, apples.. or anything really that’s put in front of him ❤️😅 another milestone reached was his first solid poo on Friday - great pride and joy to the parents! Interestingly, I guess we’ve been doing unintentional EC as well with all the nappy free time and it genuinely looks like N prefers to poo on the potty but of course he’s only tiny still 🥰 not to jinx anything but hopefully N’s health issues seem to be on the mend but of course we’re keeping a close eye on him. Otherwise, this little beatboxing dude loves nothing more than dadventures as soon as he’s up! Thankfully this still is around the reasonable 7-8:30am for now. But as soon as he’s up, the world needs exploring, the feet start shuffling in the sleeping bag and dearest daddy has the joy of accompanying the little monster in the garden and around the house. The handheld Dyson that mummy uses every morning to vacuum the house is also a source of much fun, especially to stand on it and to be pulled along. During lunchtime we usually go for walks in the park across the road. In the evenings it’s time for more dadventures, amazing fun at the dinner table, an occasional bath and bedtime around 7-8:30pm. 3x naps during the day are quite nicely tolerated with occasional boob protests before the last one. It’s been a lovely month all in all, only saddens me that we’ve had no one to share these moments with as it’s only the three of us and no other family around. We’re also very much in the 9-12m clothes, although big in the sleeves and mostly thanks to the cloth nappies. But also, the little chubby pup weighed 8.95kg this morning 😄 https://www.instagram.com/p/CGkKHFbJ3_YTAtVN_CWInUpg46rYO1AGmkwQkQ0/?igshid=1d9ng3r2z34g9

Also got some gorgeous photos of N doing what he loves to do most: boobing! 🥰 and he was definitely happier after that 😅 love love love everything about this and adore the connection and closeness I have with this little nugget ❤️ 📷 @vikky1310 @viktoriabrandphoto https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2MZbuJHdkP9DEGmc_BQdWW3_33H627K-52Zk0/?igshid=15f3vxuz6mq0w

On N’s 6-month-birthday we met up with the lovely @vikky1310 aka @viktoriabrandphoto and took some lovely photos in the warmth of the late afternoon/early evening sun 🥰 I am so much in love with these and it was so much fun! Mind you, these were meant to have been his newborn photos but hey oh 2020 and COVID and lockdown 😬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2Kwb3J3_Reny-lwt6-RGLFMu_Cj2sxwI5H6Y0/?igshid=1jdm25ni7cpr2

How is it even possible that this little bug is already 6 months ~ half a year ~ old!? 🥰 we spent the day avoiding naps, doing some chores, eating pear pastries and an afternoon having some fun photos taken with the lovely @vikky1310 ☺️ the past month has been wonderful and it feels like we’ve come quite far. The past few weeks have seen us with a resemblance of a nap and nighttime routine, and I’ve managed to get a few hours of the evening for myself and the hubby just watching some shows and films (Raised By The Wolves is brilliant. And so is Social Dilemma). We’ve also started giving N solids, which is so exciting! His little face full of disgust whenever a new flavour touches his tongue 😅 but so far he’s loved carrot, rice, pasta, bread and egg yolk (from our friendly neighbourhood man, not shop bought). N has still got 0 teeth, but the gums are itching every other day or so. More than anything he loves to be walked, especially outside, and he looks very enthusiastic about getting his crawling on, swinging back end forth on all fours, screeching ☺️ speaking of which we call him Nazgul on the account of those screeches, and a lizard in the mornings when his little face glows with joy, tongue out, to be awake and start the day 😙 (we have still got away with pretending to be asleep and him going back to sleep as well when it’s been too early like 7am but I don’t count on that trick working for too long). On the crappy side, we still haven’t got much further with being seen by a paediatrician but hopefully soon now 😕 Other than that it’s been a brilliant month and although I’m now getting closer to the end of my maternity leave than the beginning, I’m so excited to get to know our little guy more and more ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CFX3eu-JWUEOesdRAY0WkTFbCMYQfXqKk_lgJY0/?igshid=j9thdfue6t59

I had to say bye for now to my sweet mum today 💔 it’s tomes like these where it breaks my heart to live so far from all our family. She was here for almost 2 months (a third of N’s life hehe) yet it felt like 2 weeks. She helped me out enormously and provided me with such lovely company, especially at the start when everything seemed still quite hard. She did so much housework, vacuuming every day and mopping almost every other, she did most of the laundry after I put things to wash, she folded N’s nappies and became faster and better at it than I am, she washed all the dishes after our meals, made two massive loads of damson jam for us, picked the fallen pears and apples up every day, put away the little firewood we have for this winter, picked some blackberries with me in the park.. and most importantly was there to take N whenever we needed and provide me with an adult to chat to whenever. My life is about to get a billion times harder, and I miss mum and our occasional afternoon walks in the park so much already. These were brilliant two months and I can’t wait to have her back. At some point. Thanks a lot for making everything so uncertain, COVID 🙄 https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKbSvpJ160zEHpumfBeDk63xvZr6KFLvqX0OQ0/?igshid=1qtr2uolerxwb

Last Thursday on 03.09.20 this little puppy dog got his clip-on high chair and sat with us as a big independent boy at the table for the first time 🥰 we had fajitas and sweetcorn and so he also got a hold of one 👶🏼🌽 Mind you it was only for grabbing and licking and chewing with those itchy toothless gums ☺️ no more (very irresponsible of course) bouncy chair on the kitchen table and now onwards with the table manners! 😄 (I guess I have to note down that his first swallowed solid two days before was a piece of grass that we found in his poo 22hrs after some garden fun 🤭) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE7Le-6JQmqEOHOGLCvOijhj0BzY5abgY59GyQ0/?igshid=1p8gueiiv6ucx

The little dude is 5 months old today! 🥳 Last month we tested out two new carriers and so far the Tula seems to be the most fitting as we can do front forward-facing carry. N also finally received his black UK passport, so in theory we can start adventuring anywhere. In practice though, not so much... we survived some crazy hot weather, on one day the thermometer outside showed blooming 40°C! We also moved N to sleep in his cot next to our bed, still connected, so co-sleeping still with just some more space for me 😅 night feeds are just as easy, I just roll halfway to the cot and N turns to me. N’s been giving me some lovely decent nights with 2-3hrs sleeps between feeds and I’m so rested heh. N’s also been loving his bath times and has now learnt to splash everywhere. He’s also learnt to scream and screech 😅 he’s rolled over both ways a few times but isn’t really interested in it mostly. He much prefers to be held up on his straight legs and jumping 😄 Ngl on the other hand the last 10 days have been stressful and full of worry. N had some streaks of blood in his poo one Sunday evening and since then it’s been on and off 😕 no idea what’s causing it, he’s well otherwise, just having trouble with his gums mostly in the evenings but that’s just life of a 5-month-old. We’re testing if it might be an allergic reaction to soy, so I’ve cut that out in the past few days but so far it hasn’t made a difference. I’m not overly concerned just yet but damn does it worry a mum’s heart when something isn’t quite right with the kid 🥺💔 perhaps it’s just something that will pass and nothing serious, really really hoping for that.. https://www.instagram.com/p/CEHGUhdpYQu2gCRcfTtTLg0vLV567KVR-wZCvI0/?igshid=1bhcgzpbp9fjc

Proudly celebrating #worldbreastfeedingweek with this little dude who’s made it all possible and who’s been an absolute champion! 🥳🥰 I knew I wanted to BF and didn’t consider anything else when pregnant. My wonderful husband was the same and then we just went with it. We put Noah on the boob within minutes of being born, guided his helpless little newborn body to the nipple and he took it then and there 🥰 we also won the BFing lottery and it was honestly a breeze, I never experienced pain, a bad latch, cracked or sore nipples, and I’m so grateful for that. The only uncomfortable part was the milk coming in on day 3 and me feeling like I had two milk gallons taped to my body 😅 now I’ve just got one big and one medium boob lol but they’re doing their job just fine and N is almost 8kg now at 4.5 months! That being said, right on cue with the #worldbreastfeedingweek2020 starting, N started to stubbornly protest and scream at the boob during the day 🤦🏼‍♀️ seemingly hating naps and not wanting to miss out on all the fun of the world 🙄😅 (also probably general discomfort from teething..) I think I’ve got a trick to settle him though, which is to just walk between our bedroom and his room, with him on the boob looking around until his eyes get too heavy and close 😴 which is exactly when this photo is taken 🥰 All in all, I could so comfortably do this thanks to the support I found around me: my husband, the lovely ladies from the Birmingham @homebirthteam and the most brilliant mama @sunset_underground who has given me more advice and tips, info and encouragement than I could have ever expected (hooray for you and hooray for boobies!) ❤️🥰❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgpA0RJiaRoQ-kKcePKpja2AokMnKHYoaNcDA0/?igshid=119jx7ekc1b5l

2 months to go until N is ready to start with the solids 😗🍽 he’s looking very interested during our meal times already ☺️ I’m both excited and apprehensive and also a little bit sad but life innit?!.. I’m also very much leaning towards the ‘baby led weaning’ camp and just going with the flow just like with pretty much everything else ever 😄 end of September, here we come! https://www.instagram.com/p/CC50kdTpWaux29LYTUFdCQamrDmmg9AS0u5FJk0/?igshid=15tjw8a090d4l

This little dude was FOUR months old today!! And what a busy month it’s been: getting to hang out with the wonderful uncle @benjaminafshar at the start, meeting his one grandmother, getting a bit chubbier, falling asleep for the first time in his swing when grandma rocked him, getting into a pretty reasonable routine of sleeping between 10-11pm until 8-9am (obviously waking 3-6x in between, you’re welcome, mum!), being able to be put down for his morning nap and allowing the grownups to have breakfast together, going out for walks more, meeting his second grandmother, finishing his vaccinations for now, loving bath time and getting better at grabbing stuff, drooling so much that bibs are now a constant, rolling from front to back a few times on his mat, getting his toenails cut for the first time (hah!), horsing around with dad a lot, laughing and crying (very heartbreakingly in his sleep quite a few times 💔😭), but also forgetting about some of the Baby Things such as chatting to curtains and the wallpaper, and the little butterfly and the bird on his mat, and moving on to bigger and more exciting things 😭💔 oh and of course getting to the wonderful leap of 4-month-sleep-regression, again you’re welcome, mum! 🙃 https://www.instagram.com/p/CC4W20opmUVE4wRkHHz99sUFEEBDbt2aSFZklk0/?igshid=oazd46kk7szr

Finally got this little citizen of the world his birth certificate today 🥳 next mission is a passport. That blue (read: black) one.. the one that gives him no rights or freedom of movement in 27 other countries.. maybe one day I can rescue him with a decent EU passport though 🤞🤞 https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEgTfPp5PF2-809kLcdeXD68dpOC3kHb6RBPQ0/?igshid=658q28gqnjkz

Today this little monkey is 3 months old!! And yet again: hhhoooowwwww?!! What is time?!! And how has it already been 1/4 of my maternity leave?!?... The last month was pretty tough, not gonna lie. We had this horrible period of terrible sleep.. and I mean awake every 1-1.5 hours every night for what felt like forever. I had a few nights and mornings of just crying of the exhaustion and desperation - sleep deprivation is a form of torture after all.. but we got massive help from our sweet uncle @benjaminafshar who was always there to take him for a nap downstairs in the morning, to help with nappy changes and general baby stuff throughout the days (as well as all other housework)! At 12 weeks exactly though, our nights got a million times better for whatever reason and now N can give me even 2-3 hours of sleep in a row and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alive! 😂 of course I don’t take this for granted and it can all change back as suddenly as it did before but I am taking it one night at a time 👍👍 On top of that we’ve had a pretty brilliant month where we have made up probably an album-worth of lullabies getting N to sleep 😄 N discovered our gorgeous corridor wallpaper that he keeps smiling at and shying from, he enjoys tummy time and chatting to his baby gym friends, he produces saliva by the buckets, loves going outside into the garden more than anything to look at leaves, LOVES going to the big bath with one of us, loves grabbing for a banana, looking at his feet and napping on a chest through the days. More than anything N has enjoyed having his dear uncle around (as have we all) 🥰💕 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBqlq-9pHQGTj4DWV2a2zEH_lo3donFik_FhXo0/?igshid=1rbkbjvl9jq8u

Noah at 12.5 weeks vs Noah at birth 💕 got this gorgeous print from @newbieprint ages ago but only now managed to hang it up. It’s already blowing my mind how big he’s got in such a short period of time! He’s doubled his birthweight at 11 weeks already and is 6.75kg now - those chubby chubby cheeks and chins and thighs!! 🥰 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdQCSypi357KEMbIm8ysTTW1KtgxiZyBTCXgU0/?igshid=17nixy6dj58wm

Noah celebrated his 10-week birthday with being an excellent little nugget and giving me a sweet night of 3+2+1.5 hours of sleep 🥳 we then had a lovely breakfast outside, Noah napping in his pushchair, and I could aaaalmost finish my coffee and porridge before he woke up and demanded some milk - gotta keep growing already being 6.25kg! ☺️ Ngl it’s been a tough week and a half after the vaccinations and end of leap 2, but @benjaminafshar has been an excellent help and the weather has been just perfect ☀️🌳🌼 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxaoctpcBauHq8WBB2pVlqdxxeHChy1jnjQSg0/?igshid=2u30zqikwnll

This little tiger cub was 1 month old on Monday and can someone just explain to me WHAT IS TIME EVEN!??! 🐯💕 we’ve ditched the newborn clothes for the 0-3 months size and moved onto size 2 nappies. What’s next, university graduation??! https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VOdVKJPGCuKvOUeSsnfFV8hCpAKsG6vynK3M0/?igshid=sa6kx101c8r

Sleepy baby Noah at 1 day old (21.03.20) 🥰 We spent the morning cuddling in bed, admiring this little sweet creature that we had made 🥰 what absolute magic and joy! 🥰 https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uU2q2pc2L/?igshid=qrl0a379tsd6

This is one the most personal posts I’ve ever shared I think. My labour story: absolutely insane what it all felt like! I went from being set on a hippy home water birth to being told a week before the EDD on 16.03 that baby seems to not have grown at all, being on the tinier side in the first place, so that the best and safest thing would be an induction and hospital birth with constant monitoring. It felt devastating and I cried a lot but it was amazing the support I was able to get from the doctors at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, midwife Anya who Kam knew from the AMC times, as well as my own brilliant midwife Nikki from the home birth team. At first I was absolutely gutted that what I had imagined my birth story to look like was pretty much taken away from me, not that it was anyone’s fault but it felt unfair and cruel (of course I had tried to always think that anything could happen but I didn’t expect it to go any other way - how foolish!). I had half a sweep on the Monday and got home with the instruction to call the induction suite for available beds on Tuesday but they ended up not having anything for me then. On Wed morning I was told that I was the next in line and should have a bed by 6pm but we ended up getting the call just before midnight and being admitted on the early hours of Thu 19.03. I got the pessary put in thinking it’d be a good 24+8 hours and possible a repeat of that before anything gets going (so we did bring about a hundred bags with plenty of snacks and entertainment oops!) but by 7am when I woke up, I was getting quite regular cramps that were getting more intense. Nothing really interesting showed up on my morning monitoring though, so I was left to it. Kam came around in the late morning and I was in quite a lot of pain by then. I used the TENS machine and got a dose of paracetamol and codeine, which didn’t do much. The afternoon monitoring didn’t really interest the midwives either and they suggested I just walk around, breathe through the pain and maybe take a bath or shower. I barely ate any of the veggie risotto they had for lunch. ~continued in comments~👇👇 https://www.instagram.com/p/B-txALrJuuN/?igshid=1jqd0k06lase