Wednesday 1 June 2016

FREYA AT 5 MONTHS

Dear Freya,

Today you are 5 months and 1 day old. Today is also exactly a year since we had our 12 week scan and saw you for the very first time. I was so nervous for that appointment, half of me was expecting to lay down and be told there was no baby and the other half was expecting to lay down and be told that something awful had happened with the teeny tiny baby inside of me.



I don't know why I was so pessimistic before that scan. Maybe it's because you don't really have any proof that there's actually something, or should I say someone, in there. Yes, I was being sick like there was no tomorrow, my boobs were constantly aching and sore and all I wanted to do was sleep, sleep, sleep. But I didn't know you were in there, and I didn't know you were okay. Luckily you were absolutely fine and you're an absolutely crazy little lady now, and I am so grateful for you. Anyway, let's crack on with your update for this month, shall we?
18 Weeks Old
Height/Weight: 
Funnily enough, you were last weighed yesterday and your weight seems to be evening out now. Two weeks ago you came in at 16lb 11oz and you'd hit the 91st centile on your red book growth chart. Yesterday, however, you were weighed at 17lb 9oz and your growth line had dropped slightly to just below the 85th centile, which is good news because you were heading towards being off the chart weight wise! 
18 Weeks Old
I know I write about the red book weight charts a lot but in all honesty, I'm not too fussed about them. For starters they are based on the weights of breast fed babies so, with you being a bottle fed baby, you are instantly at a disadvantage as formula fed babies historically drink more milk than breast fed babies. But putting that technicality aside, you are far from a 'fat' or 'chubby' baby. You are incredibly tall, like your daddy and his sisters, and look more than perfectly proportioned. Unfortunately your height hasn't been measured for a while so I'm not much use with that information this month, sorry! 
18 Weeks Old 
Sizes: 
I've been truly distraught this month. At somewhere between 18-19 weeks old we had to start dressing you in size 6-9 months clothing. How can I have a baby in 6-9 months already?! I don't know what it is about baby clothing sizes, but they make me much more emotional than you being a week older. There's just something about having to buy the next size up that gets me right in my great big softy mama heart. There are a few pieces of 3-6m that still fit you but I'd say a good 80-85% of your wardrobe is 6-9m now. 
19 Weeks Old
Eating: 
So this month we actually started weaning you! I know last month I said we were planning on waiting but you were so, so ready. In the two weeks we've been weaning you haven't gagged or spat anything out at all. Not once. In fact, you wolf your breakfast and lunch down like you've been eating for years. 
19 Weeks Old
Your favourite at the moment seem to be porridge with fruit purée mixed in (but you won't eat fruit purée on its own!) and the Peas Peas Peas pouch by Ella's Kitchen. You're also quite partial to a homemade Sweet Potato & Carrot purée when I've had the time and/or energy to make some! 


19 Weeks Old

You're still waking at least twice a night for some milk, and take about 40oz in a 24 hour period. You have begun to reduce the amount of milk you take during each over night feed though, so I'm hoping you might drop one of those soon - mummy and daddy are T-I-R-E-D.

19 Weeks Old 

Daily: 
We're still not following a set routine during your days. We still follow Eat-Play-Sleep as much as we can, and you're still having 2-3 naps during the day time. You tend to have a mid morning nap and a mid afternoon nap before a quick 20-30 minute power nap at around 5pm before bedtime at 8pm. 

20 Weeks Old 

What has changed, though, is we now go to a few baby groups! At the moment we are going to a baby massage course one afternoon each week and a Stay and Play group for babies under the age of 1, one morning a week. You absolute love the Stay and Play and show off to all the other mums, but baby massage you're no so keen on. Don't get me wrong, you don't make a fuss or cry or anything like that, but you do shout your whole way 
through the class and have occasionally woken other babies up who had fallen asleep half way through their massage!

 21 Weeks Old 

Bedtime:
Bedtime is much the same as last month, except you now go to bed at 8pm instead of 9pm, and daddy now reads you a story on his own every single night. I love watching the bond you two have grow and develop, especially the look on both of your faces the first time you see each other when he gets home from work in the evening. Apart from those two tiny changes, everything else is exactly the same! If we go out anywhere we try and get you 
home for 7.30 so you're in bed for 8pm, but on the days we don't manage that you definitely let us know you are ready to come home and go to bed. You are such a home bird and seem to thrive off of a routine, and I love that about you because it makes things a hundred times easier for your daddy and I.

21 Weeks Old 

Milestones:

We have laughter!! This month you've treated us to your first proper belly laughs. We've had chuckles for probably about a month now but never one of those classic belly laughs that makes your whole body move every time you do it. You actually laughed completely unexpectedly when your Daddy was having a pillow fight with Thomas, who'd have thought you'd be into slapstick comedy?! Your laughter really is the best sound in the world and I'm not ashamed to say I cried my eyes out when I heard it for the first time. Alright, maybe it is a bit embarrassing. 

21 Weeks Old 

• You've suddenly decided you want to sit up on your own this month. I always practice letting you go and seeing if you can sit up in your own at home during the day, but usually you could only last a second or two before tumbling over. Then one day you just did it. You sat up on your own for a good 30 seconds before falling or slouching against the sofa cushions. It's been about two weeks since that day and now you've worked up to being able to manage a few minutes before wobbling or needing to take a break. I'm still always making sure my hands are hovering around your waist (anxious mum syndrome) but I'd definitely say you're not far off being able to sit up unaided all the time.

21 Weeks Old 

• You still haven't mastered the tummy-to-back roll (super annoying when I'm trying to get things done and I have to rescue you every ten seconds and roll you back on to your back, but we'll have that discussion in 10 years time) but you have started rolling back-to-tummy in both directions! For around 2-3 weeks you would only roll right arm first, but you'll happily go left arm first now if that's the easiest way to get to a toy you've got your eye on. 

21 Weeks Old 

• Swimming is still a firm favourite, as is shouting your head off like a lunatic. We've had a couple of 'ba' noises this month but not much else sound wise. I feel like I'm counting down the days until you say 'mama' but I'm willing to bet the entire contents of our house (I was going to say life savings but I have about 9p to my name) that you will say 'dada' first. That pesky Daddy. 

21 Weeks Old 

Dummy spitting has been another favourite this month. You like to blow a raspberry while you have a dummy in and watch it fly across the room like a mad woman. It is quite funny though, I have to admit it.

21 Weeks Old 

• You went in the seat of a trolley for the first time this month! Does that count as a milestone? I think so. You were so proud of yourself and looked absolutely flipping adorable.

21 Weeks Old 

That's it for this month, petal. You've been an absolute pleasure this month, and I've enjoyed every single second of it. Even if you do keep ignoring me when I get back from leaving you with someone other than mummy and having some me time. You little monkey. 

All my love, 

Mummy x

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