Let's talk about me.

OK, I know it seems like we're always talking about me, but usually it’s about what I've been doing, rather than how I am. I have changed so much already in the past four months (that's right, I'll be four months old in a few days!) and Mum says I still change every day.

So, at four months, I can:
- hold my head up steadily. I have been promoted to the 'big kid' stroller now, which is cool because I can see much more of the world.
- recognise Mum and Dad's faces. I am always very happy to see them, especially first thing in the morning when we all wake up.
- blow raspberries. We all blow them at each other as a form of communication. When I wake up in the night, instead of crying, I blow raspberries to wake Mum up. And all through 'Mums and Bubs' yoga last week, I used this sophisticated technique to get Mum out of downward dog and back to paying attention to me!
- chuckle at my parents' funny antics (see my video in last post).
- grab things: toys hanging on my playmat, teething rings (yes, teething rings! My gums seem to bug me, but more on that later), rattles, Mum's necklace, Dad's chest hair… When I grab my hanging toys I shake them and try to grab them with my feet as well.
- sleep for up to 5-6 hours at a time at night. I have been waking twice between 7.30pm and 6am, which Mum says is just fine, but last night I only woke once, at 2am, which she says is even better.

I am still exclusively breastfed and will be for at least two more months. I think I might decide to eat new food around December but until then Mum and I are happy with the way things are. I have been feeding often during the day – around every three hours - but this means that I sleep better at night, so all for the greater good.

I am not sure what I weigh exactly, but Dad weighed me on the home scales and it said I was just over 6kg. Some of my friends in Mothers' Group weigh up to 500gm-1kg more than me, so I must be around average. I am going to the doctors again next week (not sure what for, but it can't possibly be as terrifying as last time... or can it?) so I will be weighed then.

I am generally a content baby, happy to go wherever Mum takes me each day. I love going out for walks and get excited when I am put in the pram. We go for two walks every day: one morning walk in the pram to the beach, then another in the evening in the front pack as a bit of a wind down. Before I go to bed each night, we follow a little routine: walk, then nappy change, wrap, lights and noise down, and 'Calm Baby' music playing. Mum then feeds me to sleep and I usually pass right out. I do reserve my right to wake again and ask for another little cuddle, or a bit more food if I fell asleep too soon, but I try not to make too much fuss.

Lately I have started putting everything I can in my mouth. At first it was just to satisfy an overwhelming urge to suck, but now I have started needing to gnaw on everything too. I am salivating like Homer Simpson in a doughnut factory! I think I'm still a bit too little for teeth, and Mum says that my gums aren't swollen, but things can start moving around in there around two months before the teeth actually show, so it is possible that is what's happening. It is a pain in the ...well, mouth, I suppose, but it's amazing to think I will have teeth soon!



In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, watching the wind blow leaves on the tree outside, singing along with Baby Einstein and cuddling my favourite toy, the Whosit. I also like hanging out on my tummy. It's great fun! I'm not rolling yet, but I have been practising by putting my legs in the air and tipping on my side. Won't be long!

Lots of love,

Milly.

xx

Amelia's Funniest Home Videos

Non-stop parties and a trip to A&E.

When we got home from England, we had just one day to relax at home and we were off again! On Friday morning, we got on another, much smaller, plane and flew to Grandma and Grandad's place in Emerald Beach. It was Grandad's Big Birthday and we were having a party.

On Friday night, Mum and Dad and I were all pretty tired, of course, so I tried to let everyone sleep. I got up for supper at around 9pm and fed as normal. Mum said it was cute that I was so tired I wouldn't open my eyes. When I got up again at midnight, and still wouldn't open my eyes, it wasn't so cute anymore! My eyes seemed stuck together and I had a big red patch over the right one. I was still hungry though, so I told Mum to feed me first, then we could go to the hospital. No need for anyone to panic! While Dad and Uncle Sam were moving the Kia and the VW so we could get to the Mitsubishi, I did open my eyes but Mum and Dad thought it still looked bad, so off we went.

The A&E was surprisingly quiet for Coffs Harbour, 1am on a Friday night. We saw the nurse and then the doctor. Oh, Doctor Jurgen...sigh. He was lovely. I smiled and giggled and fluttered my manky eye at him. He liked me too, I think. He said I was 'alert'. But he couldn't tell us what was wrong with me and said maybe it was an allergy or I'd rubbed something into it. Mum thought maybe Sudocreme. He sent us home with a wink and a script for drops. The next morning, the eye was all but healed, and was clear by later that day, so it remains a mystery.

Saturday night was the big party. Grandad had invited lots of his friends and we all had a lot of fun. There was a jukebox and drums and a big cake with lots of candles! Willow came with Aunty Bec and Uncle Dax. Willow seems very grown-up these days, but then she is nearly one year old, so I guess that is very grown-up. I was very tired and had to go to sleep early. Even Mum and Dad couldn't keep up with Grandma and Grandad and they went to bed too, while the party carried on regardless.


It was lucky we did go to bed early, because Sunday morning we were up and off again. Back on a plane for a swift hour flight back to Sydney. I thought we might get a chance to chill out at home for once, but no! Mum dresses me up in a pretty dress and off we go to another party! This time it was a wedding - Mum's dear friend Lani married her long-time love Micah. It was a special wedding with lots of people, dancing, clapping, and tossing Micah up in the air. Of course, I slept through it all but Mum said it was lots of fun anyway.

Phew! That was a busy weekend, after our busy two weeks in the UK, but it was worth it. Now we just need a holiday to recover from our holiday!

AJ
x

England Baby!!

Well, the mother land was not what I expected, but it was pretty cool anyway! Three weeks ago, Mum and Dad packed a suitcase of my clothes, toys and nappies and took me on an aeroplane to visit my family in England. Flying in the plane was a lot of fun. I think Mum and Dad were worried that I wouldn’t like being on the plane, but I loved it. I only cried for about ten minutes and slept peacefully for the majority of the journey, and even when the plane broke in Singapore and we had to wait 16 hours for a new one, I was a joy to be with. The same cannot be said for Mum and Dad!

Our first week, we stayed with Grandma and Grandad in Broadwater. They really looked after us, cooking and washing and helping to look after me. My routine was blown right out of the water, of course. I had been sleeping through the night the week before we left, so Mum had a bit of shock getting up two, sometimes three, times a night. She was being a bit of a whinger about it, if you ask me, but Dad and I decided we would leave her in the mornings, so she could get some more sleep and she was less cranky then.

I met a lot of new people in the UK. Mum and Dad’s friends are all really nice and they seemed to like me too. I got lots of presents! Even when I was tired and cranky and giving Mum and Dad a hard time, people still seemed to think I was cute.

During the first week, we spent time with Great-Grandma Flo, Uncle David, Uncle Lee, Aunty Liz, Rob and Jackie; Stu, Dee and Noah; Matt Hedges; Matt and Emma; Dave and Jo and Liz. We had days out to country pubs, visited a real castle in Arundel, had a BBQ at Rob and Jackie’s place and a roast dinner at Grandma’s.

On Saturday, Uncle Lee got married to Aunty Liz. It was a beautiful day and everyone was really happy – especially Uncle Lee and Aunty Liz! I got to wear the beautiful new outfit Grandma bought me. I looked pretty cute. I wasn’t as happy as I probably should’ve been on such a joyous occasion, but I was still adjusting to being in a new country. Mum and I missed half the ceremony, all the speeches and the extended family photo, but we had a good time anyway.

The second week we stayed with Grandpa and Grandma at Rose Cottage. We had a lovely time. The weather was very warm and sunny (which everyone kept saying was the best it had been all summer… and it was autumn!), so we went for nice walks around Worthing, having cream teas and visiting baby shops. During this week, we also caught up with Stu, Lu, Freda and Isla; Ben, Lisa, Lydia and Eden; Dave, Bernice and Alicia; Sarah and Oliver, Lizzie and Noah; Aunty Sue, Jamie, Sam, Sandry and Mia; and Giselle and Luke. Wow, I really am popular, aren’t I?

Before we knew it, it was time to come home. Luckily the flight home was not delayed and it was smooth sailing all the way home. I didn’t cry once and slept like the baby that I am (Mum says she wants to get a flight simulator for our bedroom!). Seems I really am the perfect child after all.