Babies 5th week

28th September - 4 October 

Reuben is going through the first phase according to the wonder years. He Seems more alert and wants cuddling more. He gets sad if he can't see or here me. 

We are Mixing feeds and he has been using the breast and bottle to fall asleep. One day he just fed constant And has had a noticeable growth spurt he seems really big. He also seems to dislike his car seat.

He is roughly getting up every four hours for a feed Except one night he was wide awake and I came downstairs and we were up until 4am. He doesn't cry he just moves a lot and makes noises.

I have been introducing a dummy to settle him and help him to settle himself to sleep. 
He has also been enjoying time on a play mat and over the days has noticed the toys dangling down and looks like he is staring at them and hits them. I think this is mainly an accident tho.

He looks like he is smilling but no 100% it's no just wind. My favourite thing at the minute is the most Cute noise he makes after sneezing like an 'aaahh' nosise as if that feels better. 

Cohen and Lei are loving playing with him talking to him and laying with him near the play mat. It's like he has noticed them this week and looks at them when they are close and talking to him. When they walk away he strains his head back to try follow them.

In bed this week I was sat talking to him and kept saying 'hi', he was watching my face and mouth intently. Moving his mouth open and closed like he was trying to copy me but with out sound. I kept smiling at him, continuing to say hi and he smiled then did a little giggle (like taking a breath in and making a giggle noise) it is the most beautiful sound I have heard. 

As he is mainly breast fed his nappies are quite explosive! Quite often during a nappy change he has wee'd on me this nappy change was even worse. He managed to poo during the change and it flew over 30cm and landed on my feet. Stu was in hysterics rolling on the floor, I couldn't help but laugh too as the baby laid there not knowing what he had done.

Good job he is so cute, makes it all better 

This week he wore some soft little shoes for the first time. 

My emotions seem to be setting down. I am still uncomfortable with this new body and mainly have a paddy every time I get dressed. 

Sleep deprivation us hard, I do the night feeds and some nights my body actually hurts I feel like I'm going to vomit from the need to sleep. 

Stu has been helping on the weekend when he's not working by having all the kids and I go to sleep through the day. I can only get 2-3 hours tho then I'm wide awake. So annoying.

Babies 4th week.

21st September - 27th September

Stus birthday was on the 22nd we had a little tea party, the kids loved it. I made a cake to which everyone loved. 

25/08/14 - I posted to FB during a night feed this picture with the word 'love' 

I am absolutely smitten with this little man 

Babies third week

8th-14th September

This week we went to baby group. There was only one other woman there. Reuben slept through most of it but I had a good chat.

I got a baby sling today, he likes being in it and it's fab for carrying him into the hectic school playground, no pram wars.

My hands have been in absolute agony with carpel tunnel. I have woken up through the night with immense pain in my elbow and pins and needles in my hands which upset me more because I couldn't pick the baby up to feed him. Thankfully stu did. I have an appointment with the dr.

I got some anti inflamatorys from the dr. 

24/08/14 - daddy posted to FB, my baby so clever holding his bottle. 

Reuben had some white spots on his tounge so I took him to the dr who said there was nothing there. Made me feel a bit daft to be honest. The next morning there were a few more so I took him back, another dr said she could see a single spot and it was an ulcer not thrush as I had suggested. I knew it was thrush but after seeing two doctors I felt like they were just ignoring me so I went to clinic after the weekend, by this time it was certainly thrush. The health visitor agreed and quickly arranged for someone to come around to our house with a prescription and one for me too as it had become painful to breast feed. I was very annoyed as it could have been prevented from getting to me and getting so bad on Reuben.

We went for two photoshoots this week. I had booked one then saw another with fab photos so booked her too. I have done a review on these in another blog. He looks so adorable.

Here's a sneak peek.

Babies second week

today I'm on my own with the kids. Stu has returned to work and my mum had gone home. Feel sad that my mum has gone and all the things she will miss out on with the baby.
I'm gutted Stu had to return to work so quickly too, wish we had all had more time together.

Reuben is a little super star, he whimpers quietly to tell me he is ready for food, has a dirty nappy or fancies a snuggle. He hardly ever cries loudly. He seems to have settled into 3 hour feeds.
My daughter is smitten she doesn't leave us alone and wants to feed and cuddle him.

The kids have gone back to school now too so lots of quality time with my lil man.

Trying to catch up on sleep when he does but he is so popular we have visitors a lot.
Took a trip out to meet my friend and the twins at the shopping centre. We ate food then fed them and changed them then it was time to go pick the kids up from school. So we didn't get to shop lol. We seriously under estimated shopping with three newborns.

This week we are registering the birth, have our second midwife check up and an appointment with the health visitor at home.

I'm still feeling elated with him. Little sad everyone had to leave and go back to work.

My emotions are still a bit crazy and I can randomly burst into tears over how quick time is going and he's getting bigger or how nothing fits me and instead of a lovely bump I now have a jelly belly. 
Feeling achy and sore. Really suffering with the carpal tunnel syndrome. In the night I wake with the pain and can't immediately pick the baby up. It's like pins and needles in my fingers and hand and I can't grip will and it goes right down my arm to my elbow it's awful. Doctor is referring me for some treatment on it.

Baby had his first road trip as we travelled to my mums. We had to stop a few times to feed him and change him but he was so good and didn't cry in the car. 

We enjoyed seeing everyone and he got to meet his Uncle for the first time. 

Babies 1st week

In hospital we stayed 3 nights. After the first night we were moved to transitional care as he has lost a lot of his weight and his sugars were low suggesting diabetes. He just slept so much he didn't wake to feed. When he did I was struggling with BreSt feeding. 

The two midwives in there were fantastic spending over an hour supporting me when I was struggling with feeding, talking to me. They were fantastic without them I probably would have given up. They topped him up on a night with cup feeds of milk to keep him doing well and help my breastfeeding..

With Reuben being so big when he was born he was checked for diabetes by heel pricks at various times through the day, thankfully they picked up. 

By the third day I was ready to go home and felt I could feed him as needed. 

( all ready to go home and meet my brother & sister again) 

When we came home Stu drove so carefully, I was so nervous I just wanted to get him home safely. 

The midwife came to visit us the first morning home. She weighed him and asked questions about how I was feeding and how the first night had gone. 

We had our First trip out to the white rose. I met my mum and aunt. I drove at a snails pace worried about bumps or crashing with such a precious little baby on board. 

We were ok shopping until he woke up, I just couldn't walk around leaving him to cry so came home with him. I couldn't wait to cuddle him up and make him happy again.

Whilst my mum was still staying with us we nipped out in the car to pick up some pizzas, we were gone only 15 minutes but I hated being away from the baby so much, it hurt my heart and I cried. Stu gave me a cuddle and said he would be fine. Obviously he was just fine safe at home with my mum. I guess nine months together and a week after giving birth I was lost without him.

One week since giving birth.

 31/08/14 

1 week young.

 3/9/14 - 10 days young.

Reuben is enjoying his bath time now. 

breast feeding is going well and my milk has come through properly.