03/02/2019

Gnashers, movement, holiday and new photos - just a little(ish) update

Hi everyone, sorry for the radio silence!


I've been quite quiet recently. Peyton's sleep has been terrible (I've just written a post about this here if you'd like to go find out more) and, in turn, that's made some days really hard. Tom's shifts seem to come in waves, too, so we'll have days where he'll be home a lot, then days where he seems to be at work all the time and we never see him.

A couple of weeks ago I felt really, really overwhelmed and everything was a struggle. Not everyday, though. I was fine when I was busy; particularly when I went out with Soph and Olivia, or saw my mum, or Tom was off. But I'm obviously aware that everyone can't spend all their time with me to keep me busy because they have lives of their own!


Anyway, now we're getting better nights of sleep I already feel better. I was so tired from being up so many times a night that I was cranky, moody and irritable - not great traits when you've got a baby to look after on your own all day. I was definitely not at my best and I wasn't being the best mum I can be to Peyton. Of course, she didn't know/care, as long as she could play with her toys she was happy.

I realised that I don't make enough time for myself, something I touched on in a post I wrote the other week (you can read that here if you like) or for me and Tom, so we've made a pact to do that more going forward. We had an impromptu date night last weekend, only the second time we've been out just the two of us since Peyton was born, and it was lovely. We're also going out for Valentine's Day, which will be beaut.
This week I've booked myself in for an afternoon of pampering to use up some vouchers I got for Christmas. I'm having a full body aromatherapy massage and my nails doing. Then, if that wasn't enough, on Saturday I'm going for a full day spa day with my mum. I realised, when spilling my heart out to Tom after a particularly bad day, that I've only ever left Peyton for longer than an hour or so when I've been doing my keeping in touch days at work. I've not been and done anything for me (apart from my 45 minute nail appointment once a month) since she's been born. Some of you will read that in complete shock and, yes, I know that's probably not healthy, but I just hate asking people to look after her. I know I shouldn't, but I don't like to feel like I'm putting people out. Or for people to think I am palming her off. So I've only ever left her when my mum and dad have offered.

This was when my mum looked after Peyton a few weeks ago - her face just makes me melt!
Going back to work I will naturally get more time to myself back, so that will be lovely. I'll be able to nip to Tesco on my dinner and stroll round at leisure, and pop into Lidl quickly without having to get her out of her car seat, into a trolley with a seat, quickly go in for the two things I need, then put her back in the car seat. It's a lot just for a few things.

Anyway, I'll just give you a little update on what's new with us since I last wrote a post.

Gnashers

Peyton now has two teeth! The first cut on Christmas Eve and the second just a couple of weeks later. She hasn't been as bad as I thought she would with them. The disturbed sleep started around the time of the first one cutting, but the second one didn't seem to cause too much trouble.


I'm not sure how long we'll have now until her next one(s) come through. We've got a teething anklet which she's worn from about three months. I would definitely recommend these to people, it's definitely helped her. We lost her first one (I say 'lost', she'd kicked it off and it fell down the side of the cot - so we only found it when we were lowering the cot down to its lowest setting!) just as her first tooth cut and she was definitely more unhappy. When her second one cut, and I'd bought some replacements, we didn't really notice too much.

She looks so funny now with her two little teeth on the bottom. It's weird how it's made her look so different. It makes me sad that the gummy smile is no more now, though.

A few people have asked if she's been biting me when feeding, and I can't really say she has. When her first one cut she bit me twice in consecutive feeds. I'd read tips on what to do in cases of biting so I was prepared. I simply just unlatched her, told her no and waggled my finger (in proper teacher style). She cried, which made me feel bad, but when I put her back on she didn't do it again. After the second time she hasn't done it since. Not even when her second tooth cut.

I expect that'll all change when her top ones come through, as now her tongue covers the bottom ones, but we shall see...

Movement

She's very much on the move now!! She'd been looking like she was going to set off crawling since Christmas. She kept getting on all fours and rocking back and forth, but never went anywhere. Then, literally overnight, the day before she was seven months, she got it. It was a Saturday morning, she'd got us up mega early, and we were downstairs playing and she just set off.




And just like that, she was off. She got really fast, really quick, too. The poor cats stand no chance now she's on the move! 

I also need eyes in the back of my head because she wants everything she's not supposed to have. In particular, the cat food, the scratching post and the cat bed.

She's also, this week, learnt to pull herself up at things. It started with her activity table but now it's the tv unit, the sofa, the stairs...



We've had a few tumbles but she's a tough cookie; she doesn't bat an eyelid anymore.




I swear I must say "what are you doing now?!" at least 50 times a day at the moment. Each time I do she just flashes me the cheekiest smile.

She's woken up from her nap while I've been writing this and is now standing at the coffee table smacking it continuously. When Tom's off on Tuesday we really, really need to baby proof the house.

I'm talking corner protectors, stair gates - the lot!

Weaning

Weaning is going really, really well.

She has really taken so well to baby led weaning and absolutely loves exploring the different textures and tastes; probably more the textures! She loves making a mess.



She's eating so much more now, properly taking bites out of things and eating almost everything I give her. Of course, we still have meal times where she isn't fussed, but I don't let it bother me.

I'm still breastfeeding - although how much longer for I am not too sure - and that's her sole nutritional source until she's one. With regards to breastfeeding, I'll see what happens when I go back to work and she starts nursery. I had said I didn't still want to be feeding when I went back to work, as I can't be faffed having to express while at work everyday, but I'm just not sure what to do with regards to formula. She's still so temperamental with a bottle and her cups aren't big enough for the amount of formula she'd require. So I'm a bit up in the air, still. I'm just going to follow her lead. But, as soon as she's one, I'm going to try weaning her off the boob (if she hasn't started already) and giving her cups of cows milk in place of a boob feed.

For now, though, food is going really well.


We went out for Tom's birthday to Fazenda in Leeds and there were four people on the table next to us. They were probably in their 60s, maybe 70s, and they came over when we were leaving to say how well behaved she was and how good she was at eating. It was so nice to hear, especially when sometimes we go out she can be a bloody nightmare and I feel like she's annoying everyone around us!



Holiday

We've booked our first family holiday!

We are going back to Dubai, but this time as a three.

I was originally looking at the Med/Canaries, but after getting the lovely lady in Hays Travel to look in those areas, Tom arrived and asked her to look at Dubai. I must give her credit, though, she found exactly what we wanted within our budget (which I didn't think would be possible!)

So we are heading off to Dubai for a week in September. I absolutely can't wait, and it's just the motivation I needed to stop eating crap and focus on shifting the rest of this baby weight. I wonder how long I can keep calling it "baby weight" before I have to just admit I'm chubby and can't stop eating?

This was in Dubai on our honeymoon; what I'd do for that body back now!
I've got about a stone to go until I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, so I'm hoping that's more than do-able. In an ideal world I'd like to be back to my wedding weight, and the weight I was when we went the first time, but I'm not sure how achievable that will be.

Going back to work will definitely help me to eat better and stop snacking, so fingers crossed I am a bit more body confident by the time I board that plane!

New photos

After booking our holiday we realised we needed to get Peyton a passport. I could think of nothing more stress-inducing than trying to get her to sit still in a booth to get a photo for it, so went to a lady in Selby who has a studio in our Selby office.

She was absolutely amazing! I wish my passport picture was as cute as hers.


While we were there, Natalya did a little photoshoot with Peyton. I wish I'd been more prepared and put her in something more photoshoot worthy (or even just made sure her socks matched her outfit a bit better, but hey ho!) but they're still beaut.

Here are some of our faves...










We also went back to the people who did our wedding photos (and my maternity and Peyton's newborn) for her six month shoot. We are off to view those a week tomorrow, but here's the sneak peek we got from that...


And I think that's it...

I can't think of anything else major that's happened since I last wrote a post. 

It feels like loads has happened in a short space of time with Peyton. She's still such a happy, cheeky, funny little girl though, whose personality is really starting to come out now.


I am now on the four week countdown to returning to work and, while I'm excited, I'm quite apprehensive/nervous, too. It's going to be a big change for us all but it'll be nice to get some proper structure and routine into our lives; instead of being ruled by Peyton all day, every day!

I've been on a bit of a mission today and used Peyton's nap time to write some other posts. If you want to have a read now, here they are:

Mum Guilt - Click here to read

Sleep training - Click here to read

I'd better wrap it up now because Peyton's trying to batter down the kitchen door to go terrorise the poor cat some more!

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