A Week of Daddery

So I've done my first week as a dad and it's all gone pretty amazingly to be honest. I thought it would be a really tough change of life but Leo is a little star and very easy to settle and entertain. Sarah is great with him, letting me sleep at night and feeding him without asking for help unless she really needs a break, and she's happy to nap during the day to make up for the loss of sleep at night. But as Leo's been great almost every night, it's not been a huge task.

Things have been a bit emotional and cuddles have been required on a regular basis for all of us, but that's to be expected!

Introductions are a little one sided currently

Mostly I'm just totally in love with my little man. I think Sarah is too, she seems to think he's pretty amazing at least. We've been a bit obsessed with LB and a little too unobsessed (genuine word) with one another, so we had a great talk about things over the last 24 hours and made sure we were still on the right track and checking in with one another on a more personal level, rather than what Leo is doing right this minute every minute forever. Good job we're totally smitten really!

Today was the first adventure into the unknown, or garden as some people call it, with the baby carrier. Maa Burgin very kindly bought us an (inconsistently capitalised) Ergobaby carrier which Sarah carried Leo around in whilst tending to the plants and generally mooching about in the sun (no direct sunshine was involved in the making of this adventure). It went really well, probably as well as it could do in fact, and now I'm looking forward to being able to carry him around myself and getting overly hot. We'll see!

Hairy boob or baby head? You decide

All in all, the last week has been a wonderful introduction to our new look family (not New Look, I didn't find them there).

P.S. Here's the whole album for the garden adventure. Enjoy!

Acknowledge the darker parts

Although you have a wonderful new life and amazing new adventures await, I also feel like I am experiencing a period of loss experienced.  We're leaving behind a perfect little life that I feel in control of and we spend every second possible together; making tea, tidying the house, going to the shops, walking Sammy, going  on adventures.... Not so much anymore

I was really feeling it yesterday evening, I still am to a degree today. Don't get me wrong, it isn't by any means affecting my baby enjoyment, I just miss Tom! I know it will improve when I'm more mobile and we establish our life as a little family..but in the meantime, I reserve the right to miss my beautiful husband too!

As is the norm with us, we discussed it a had some cuddles and it helped me to just get it off my chest. I think it's important to acknowledge that there are less positive moments as it stops it escalating and removes any stress associated with carrying concerns.

On the plus side, I'm amazed by how quickly my bump is contracting. Top pic is about a week and a half over. Bottom left is the day before my due date and bottom right is today, 1 week +1 day postpartum

Again, the resiliency of the human body amazes me. It's like my skin has never been stretched as far as it was, I would expect there to be sagging, but nothing!

The talented Miss Renshaw

Beautiful hand decoration

Amazing and so personal


For those of you who don't know, Nic is one of my incredibly talented friends who I got to know when I was at my previous company. She was fundamental in the seamless running of our wedding and we have huge amounts of respect for her as a person and her talents. She's a composer, an artist, a charity worker and an all round amazing person.

She made Leo a little personalised chalk board and added his name and painted the little puffin on there. She also hand drew us the wonderful card I have put a pic of.. Absolutely perfect and both will be the first additions to Leo's bedroom wall.

The puffin theme comes from the fact that Tom and I got engaged whilst surrounded by puffins on Lunga island in Scotland.

Thanks Nic xx

Snüzpod success

Looks amazing

Let's me see his handsome face

I decided almost immediately after bringing Leo home that the moses basket wasn't for us.  He would go from totally floppy zonked to angry baby the second I released his weight onto the pathetic attempt of a matress in the basket.

I also knew it wasn't to do with being separated from me as he would happily go down onto his change mat or our matress and not stir.

The main criteria for the crib to meet was affordable, compact, baby visibility and a matress that supports our sons growing body; which was actually the most important factor.

After a very quick (unlike me) look around we decided the Snüzpod was for us. Stylish, affordable, amazing matress and in stock up the road..

We embarked on our first outing as a family and went to get it. We have erected a fair amount of flat pack furniture recently and Tom was hugely impressed with the build quality and simplicity of fitting so it started well....

... And just got better. Our precious little man absolutely loves it, he settles the way I would expect from him and I am happy his growing body has all the support it needs.

I would recommend this crib to all and I don't use all of its features!

What today has taught us

Cuddles with G-pops

His umbilical has dropped off

He really doesn't like the wind on his skin

Today has taught me a few things.  I'm pretty happy now that Leo is getting all he needs.  Wet and dirty nappies consistently and his wee wasn't too strong, showing he is hydrated. He pee'd on me twice!

We fed around the 3 hour mark today and only earlier if he wanted it. Pretty settled after most feeds and did some good snoozing, even had a bit of sauna action with G-pops in the conservatory.

Letting him lead the speed of the feed and just nudge him along rather than hassle seemed to have suited him today, could be coincidence, I am noting the specifics of each feed and post feed outcomes in a great little app so I can clearly see a pattern if there is one. I also fill out my fitness pal so can tie it back to food if necessary.

Air drying stitches is the way forward. It's made such a difference to my comfort levels over the last couple of days and I now feel like I'm emerging out of the other side.

Breastfeeding stops a hiccup attack, really quickly. You feel so sorry for them when one strikes so it's great to find something that does work.



 

I'm never happy!

I don't class myself as a worrier as I don't get myself in a mess over things, I do class myself as a perfectionist instead. I like to know I am doing something that interests me, to the best possible level I can and I like to know it's right too.

Now that we are responsible for this amazing new being, in an area we have never ventured into and also has no hard and fast rules, it is raising many questions for me.

Is he getting enough calories?
Is his tongue tie affecting him?
Is he filling his nappies enough?
Is he too laid back?
Why do I always have to wake him to feed?

You can see they are all pretty similar in their nature. He had lost 7% of his weight on Friday which is within parameters, midwife back tomorrow so will see how his weight is going. The proof will most definitely be in the pudding then!

We have have had a couple of feeds since I started drafting this and in that time he had a wee on me whilst nappy was being changed and it was a good colour and quantity; so hydration is good. He also had a poop and that was the required colour and consistency, so it is likely I have nothing to be fussed about. This is so tricky when it involves such a precious little package.

Bathtime bullies

Hmm, no thanks mummy

No Mummy, seriously



We thought we would brave our first bath this morning as Aunty Holly is coming to see us and well, that wrenched on the ol' heart strings.

To say he hated it would be an understatement and his distress really tore into me, especially as I was causing it. We have spent the last few days gaining his trust, only to put him through the latest horror in his new little life.

He didn't settle, we had moments where his little dog cloth pacifier helped, but nothing prolonged.. My attempt to sing to him had a temporary affect until I couldn't sing as I was crying.. It was carnage, he will get to love it and is far from perturbed now

Early morning research

It started of as violent protestations and escalated to a bid for freedom. It constantly amazes me how strong newborn babies are, when they have lived a life of minimal resistance and movement for 9 months. I feel as weak as a lettuce as I haven't trained for a couple of months!

I was reading into useful feeds and milk production last night, as I feel he uses me as a comforter most of the time rather than actively feeding. The room I feed him in (yes, my toilet haven) has really bright lights,  and one tip I found on  this link was that if the lights are too bright, Baby is more likely to fall asleep feeding as he will keep his eyes closed.

I am also going to wake him to feed every 2 hours, rather than 4, with one or two exceptions at some point in the evening probably. When he is feeding, I will be actively making a point on keeping him on a useful and productive latch, rather than sitting and blogging! This will ensure he is reaching the nourishing hind milk and should increase his appetite/my supply. And, in theory, mean his rest periods are more settled.




We had a sneaky snooze this morning under Tom's watchful eye. I am terrified of sleeping with Leo on my chest so don't like to do it, but he was restless, I was shattered and I decided I wanted some skin on skin with my little man... We slept for an hour and a half like this, it was so lovely waking up with his soft little tum on mine and he was all squirmy when we woke him to feed. #littlesmushface