Weaning

Since I last wrote we've had some big things happen with Harrison. Firstly, he got quite a serious ear infection and had to go to hospital. At first, we were told he'd be hooked up to an IV over the weekend but we were actually discharged from hospital later in the afternoon with just some ear drops, thank goodness. The ear infection was called Psuedomonas and is resistant to most antibiotics and can be very dangerous in babies or immune-compromised people if it spreads round the body. After many hospital appointments involving his ear being vacuumed out (or de-gunked as I like to put it) it seems to have gone away and he is back to his cheery little self.

Secondly, we have moved Harrison into his cot in the nursery. It was a very hard decision to make, and there were lots of tears on my part on being separated from my baby boy. But it was ultimately my decision and the right one I think. He was just getting too big for his Moses basket and thrashing around in it a lot, which woke me and him up. The transition has been difficult. We've had good nights and some truly terrible ones, but things seem to be levelling out now. The last few nights he's only woken once or twice and I've actually been able to get some sleep! A week or so ago we had 3 bad nights in a row where he woke every hour. I cannot begin to describe how awful I felt in the daytime - like a zombie. Sleep deprivation really is the worst! A few nights ago he went down at 9pm and woke up at 4:30am. Amazing you might think - apart from the fact I woke up every hour from 1am expecting him to start calling out for a feed. So he got a good nights sleep but I didn't - even though I could have. I've honestly forgotten what a good nights sleep feels like, where I don't need to wake up and see to my baby. The last two nights he's woken once, around 2:30am, had some milk and gone straight back to sleep (like the old days in his Moses basket). A couple of times he's stirred or woken himself up but has managed to self-soothe, which I hope he continues to do. 

Thirdly, we've started weaning! A little earlier than planned, due to the fact I have an operation to remove my wisdom tooth on his 6 month birthday. We started with some baby rice on Easter Monday...

... but no matter how much I added, it just wouldn't make a paste with my milk. So after a couple of days of offering just that once a day, I graduated him onto baby porridge...

... which he loves! So he has a few teaspoons of that for breakfast now after a milk feed. Then, on Saturday just gone, I made my first baby purée in my Beaba Babycook and Harrison had his first taste of organic sweet potato!

This went down very well. So I then gave him porridge for breakfast and a purée for dinner, with all of his usual milk feeds in between. Yesterday, I offered him see steamed carrot sticks, whilst I ate some raw ones in front of him. I thought I'd dabble in a bit of baby led weaning, see how he got on. Well, it wasn't much of a success. I know baby led weaning is very popular, but I was concerned about him choking, plus, no matter how many books I read, I still feel it's my responsibility as a parent to dictate what foods he eats, how much and when. 

I think Harrison agrees...

I ended up puréeing the carrots for his dinner so they didn't go to waste. Today I've introduced a bit of purée at lunchtime (he ate about a third of the pot) just to see how he would get on with it. I'm also offering some water in a sippy cup with his meals and encouraging him to take sips alongside spoonfuls of his food. He likes his sippy cup, but he finds the action of drinking from it funny and most of the water ends up down his front.

Weaning is really fun so far, I'm enjoying giving him new things to try (he's got butternut squash for dinner tonight - I wonder how he'll get on!) but at the same time, I'm a little sad by how quickly time is going. My baby boy is growing up so fast- in his own room, now experimenting with food... every milestone leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Next week he will be 6 months old! How time flies...

Baby's First Cold

So my very first Mother's Day was wonderful but marred by one thing - Harrison developed a nasty, snotty cold and spent most of Sunday night awake and crying. It must have been quite frightening for him, babies tend to breathe through their noses so having his little airways blocked up must have been very frightening for him. Since then I've had to take him to the doctors as his ear also started leaking neon yellow fluid. Turns out our poor little mite has an ear infection too. And after four days of broad spectrum Amoxicillin to clear it up, we found out yesterday that he needs medicine more specific - something called Floxicillin. The pharmacist wouldn't meet my eyes when I asked her what it tasted like, 'oh it's erm...raspberry...'. Yeah, right. I tasted it before giving it to him yesterday and it tastes like raspberries - smeared with earwax and nail varnish remover. It's the most bitter thing I've ever had the misfortune of tasting. After a hefty glass of orange juice I could still taste the sticky, bitter, evil gloop. Poor Harrison looked like I was trying to poison him when I gave it to him via syringe the first time. And now most of it ends up spat out on a muslin. Sigh. Still, if it makes him well then it will all be worth it.

Above are some recent photos of Harrison with his great Nan and Nanny (my mum and nan). They both adore Harrison which is amazing. 

These other photos are my brothers Ben and Kevin with Harrison. He is so lucky to have two amazing uncles he can look up to and guide him as he gets older. I love how great (most of) my family are with Harrison. It makes me so happy to see them making a fuss of him, playing with him etc. as he's the first grandchild on my side of the family, it's evident why he's thoroughly spoiled! 

Blogged!

Harrison got featured on the What My Baby Wore Today blog over here...

http://whatmybabyworetoday.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/thursday-20th-march-2014-todays-star.html

I had to take a lot of photos of him wearing various cute outfits then send them with links to Lou who runs the blog. It was a lot of fun for me, I think Harrison got bored of all the outfit swaps though! 

Tears and Tantrums

This is the face of the little man who does not want to wear sunblock. 

At 4.5 months, Harrison has developed quite a personality. Usually such a happy, smiley, laughing boy, the last two weeks have shown us a different side to his character. Little paddies and growls of frustration have become a daily norm, as he struggles to understand his feelings and carry out tasks his growing mind so desperately wants to do. If he's being particularly grouchy, simply leaving him alone in a room whilst I carry out one of the myriad chores is enough to set off an impressive vocal range of whining. And if left unattended too long, he will work himself up into quite a tantrum (with real tears and everything!).

Of course, I can usually nip any grumpy behaviour in the bud early on with my amazing repertoire of silly faces / songs / dances, and I of course do not leave him alone for long, especially if he starts getting upset. In fact, it's amazing how jobs that take 30-40 minutes (like cleaning the bathroom) can be finished in mere moments once his angry little cries start up. As a new mum, I used to drop everything and rush to him at the merest hint of a sob. Now I've learnt the difference between his whining cries for attention (usually greeted by cheeky grins the second he sees me) his frustrated huffs and his actual, fearful howls. You know the ones, where the bottom lip drops and their cry is louder than a passing freight train. 

The upshot of his mental development happening right now is that there will be tears and tantrums, but there are also proper cuddles, whole babbling conversations, giggle fits and plenty of smiles and kisses. 

One Year On...

It's so hard to believe that a year ago now I'd just found out I was pregnant. Remembering the nerves and the odd feeling of realising something, a tiny little life, was growing inside me. The incredible journey I've been on in the last year has been overwhelming, exhausting, a huge learning curve but undoubtedly the greatest year of my life. Looking down at my little boy who is fast asleep in my lap, I get a lump in my throat as my mind replays the sorrows and fear when I thought I was losing him, and also the indescribable joy as I felt him kick and writhe inside me. 

I'm still on that journey. Everyday brings a new challenge, a new song to sing to soothe him, a new game to play, a new experience of being Harrison's mummy. On Friday last week he rolled over for the first time - from his tummy to his back. Of course, it happened as I went out if the room for 10 seconds to put a nappy in the bin! I returned to see my boy's wry grin as he realised what he'd just done. There was most definitely a twinkle in his eye! I would have felt terrible if he hadn't rolled straight back over when I flipped him over again. And now that little manoeuvre, that used to take 10 minutes of coaxing and dangling squeaky toys near his head, now takes seconds as he rolls himself every time he's on his tummy. Of course, it's only in one direction now, but who knows? Maybe next week he'll conquer the other side, his little fists bunched with pride and his eyes a-gleam. 

Other things Harrison can do...

1. Coos, sighs and makes funny sounds as he learns that making noises whilst moving your mouth and lips makes different sounds

2. Supports his head (he's done that from a very young age anyway)

3. Supports his head, neck and shoulders by lifting them off the ground during tummy time

4. Copies sounds (especially when I say and sign 'I Love You' - it really does sound like he's trying it say it back!

5. Kicks his legs like he's running on the spot

6. Splashes in the bath with all limbs

7. Grabs toys, hair, clothes etc and puts them in his mouth (or tries to)

8. Swats at things, pushes toys away

9. Stands up and sits up sturdily if supported

10. Giggles and laughs at things he finds funny (normally me and J)

It's so funny to think that a year ago he was just a few cells rapidly multiplying and now he's a living, breathing baby, kicking around on his playmat, getting cross with me when I put his coat on and laughing away when I catch him spying on me. Harrison is a proper little baby boy now with so much character. He is just a joy to be around and I'm so excited for the next year! What will he be doing one year on from now I wonder...