Month: April 2006

Back from the Doctor’s who says Will is absolutely fine and hopefully the transition to formula should beef him up, so it’s back to the surgery yet again next week to see where we’re up to.

In the meantime I’ve made a swift recovery from not breastfeeding anymore and woke up this morning feeling ‘normal’ for the first time since William was born so obviously my supply is reducing.

Now we wait and see what happens once the milk runs out completely….will Louisa end up with Spaniel’s Ears? Tune in next week to find out.

Will is a waterbaby! We went for our first swim today and had a lovely time. Will looked like something out of Victorian England in a stripy suit to help me grip him after I’d slathered his skin in vaseline. But that was NOTHING compared to the horror that was me in one of last year’s M&S bikinins (it was all I had). My poor figure – come back, all is forgiven.

Will wasn’t sure about the pool at first, but soon got the hang of it and even went under the water for a few seconds. I really enjoyed doing it too and am sure that we’re going to have a great time over the next couple of months. I can really see how it can help to build little babies’ confidence in the water.

Most amusing was watching us all afterwards. Whereas pre-baby we would have spent ages faffing with showers, a variety of body unguents and hairdryers, the scene in the changing rooms was of silent, fierce concentration as we knelt on the tiles frantically de-robing/nappying/showering/drying/moisturising/wiping/re-robing/nappying etc our squawking offspring. Finally, we surfaced, decided we couldn’t be arsed to shower and went home looking like we’d been run over by a variety of buses backwards, lugging the babies in their car seats across the car park while they cooed happily away in their warm, dry cocoons and looked forward to lunch and a nap.

Today I have also crossed a serious milestone, because today was my last breastfeeding day. A decision not taken lightly, but after another week where Will has only put on 1 oz, he’s clearly not getting what he needs from me. I’m not going to bother with doing a half/half approach, it’s too much hassle and hasn’t worked over the last week. So from now on it’s formula all the way and let’s hope we finally see some improvement. In the meantime we’re also going to see the doctor on Friday, just to check that it is the food, and nothing else that’s causing Will’s weight to stay so static. It’s a worry, but I’m hoping that we’ve made the right decision and that on Friday Will will have finally put on a decent amount and we can relax at last.

First trip in the buggy, Will’s much happier sitting up and looking around (well, to the left anyway, we’re still working on the full 180 degree view)

First look at a book!

AND. FINALLY. First playtime outside in the sunshine! We thought it would never come 🙂

It’s been a long week what with Eddie being away and Will and I struggling with colds. So it was lovely to go round to see Lucy, Richard and Honore for a cup of tea this evening. It’s a balmy Spring day and we sat in the garden with our Earl Gray in posh cups and saucers, Cate held Will for a while and I felt revitalised.

Little Will, he’s such a trooper, he smiles through everything and loves life no matter what obstacles get in his way. His ezcema is worse than ever on his face, he looks like a little tomato. But his huge blue eyes shine through and his smile is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I look at William and wonder ‘Where did this little baby come from?’ He is amazing to me – a real little person in his own right.

Will and I have got the same cold, but I think his is actually a bit worse than mine. Chesty coughs and runny noses all round. Poor Will slept for over an hour and a half this morning and is back in bed now. He threw up all of his breakfast, which was pretty alarming in itself, but fortunately I managed to get him to hold onto elevenses and topped him up with 3 ozs of formula for good measure which has also stayed down.

With both of us under the weather, playtime was less than energetic, and I actually gave up altogether after half an hour and the two of us sat riveted to Phil and Fern instead (all about silent childbirth…..these women must be insane).

Very upset to be missing the NCT Ladiees later this afternoon, but for the time being think it’s best we stay out of the way. I’ve also got an appointment with the nurse later on, but am now having a crisis of confidence and worrying that I’m being overly paranoid. He doesn’t have a temperature and now that he’s kept some food down I’m feeling a little less neurotic. Might cancel and just see how things go over the weekend.

In the meantime his ezcema on his face is dreadful – at first I worried that it was a reaction to the formula, but the rest of him is OK, so I think he’s just going through a flare up. I spend my life trying to distract him from scratching – he just scratches and scratches until he bleeds. It’s heartbreaking.

It doesn’t help that Eddie is on a stag weekend in Krakow….last heard from yesterday afternoon; gibbering and heading for the nearest kebab shop….

The day has finally arrived – Will has had his first taste of formula. I’ve put it off for 14 weeks, but after another week where he’s only gained 1 oz, today the Health Visitor agreed that it was time to try boosting his weight by introducing formula.

Traitorous child, he woofed down 6 ozs and then fell asleep while I wept for my lost role as the sole supplier of nourishment. After all the trials and tribulations trying to get breast feeding together, and then finally figuring it out together, I couldn’t help feeling emotional as I gave William his first bottle ever from me. Time is flying by and my little baby is growing up much too quickly.

Miracles do happen – William is actually asleep. Upstairs. In his cot. At lunchtime. Amazing.

Off to Sussex for the weekend starting tomorrow, it’ll be the first time we’ve gone away with Will and I’ve already written a list as long as my arm of all the stuff we need to take. We’re going to look like The Beverly Hillbillies setting off down the M25 at this rate.

Today has been a worry all round and I feel absolutely drained and ready to crawl into bed with this week’s Heat.

Will went to see the Health Visitor – his ezcma is awful, it’s not getting any better, in fact it’s actually worse. The skin in all his little creases is red raw and although we continue to slather him with the ointment she prescribed 3 weeks ago, it doesn’t seem to be doing anything to help. Even Hy seems to be at a loss now, so tomorrow we have to go and see Dr Endersby to find out if he can help.

To add to my worries, he’s put on very little weight in the last 3 weeks, only 5 1/2 ozs. He’s feeding fine so I can’t understand what’s happening. Hy says that most babies go through a stage where their weight doesn’t increase, I know Debs had the same with Taylor, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. I’ll see what the Dr says tomorrow, and book us in for another appointment next week, if he’s still not gaining then I just don’t know what we do. I am so loathe to use formula! Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Finally, we had to go for Will’s second set of jabs, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to have to hold him – I couldn’t look, just held him close and the tears rolled down my cheeks while poor little Will cried his eyes out. I know it’s for his own good, but I feel so cruel. Fortunately the aftermath wasn’t as bad as last time, he only had one little syringe of Calpol and is now fast asleep and peaceful.

What a wonderful weekend! Sausage sandwiches and cider at the pub on Saturday where we sat in the beer garden in the sunshine. Then a classic Sunday lunch chez Norgate where Will was absolute angel (either that or in total shock at the proceedings – his eyes were out on stalks for the duration).

Today has been absolutely beautiful, the sun shone, the daffs are out and finally it feels as though Spring is in the air. Eddie, Will and I have pootled round town and then went to the pub for a pint and a sausage sandwich which we had in the garden while I crossed another milestone and fed Will.

I just wish I could get William to sleep more, he can’t have had more than 1 hour today split into half hours slots of snoozing. I know I obsess about his sleep, but it took him over half an hour to finally go to sleep tonight and I’m sure it’s because he’s overtired.

Tomorrow, lunch at the Norgaterie – excellent, I can pass Will round and have a bit of a break 🙂

There has not been one night since we brought William home from hospital that I haven’t woken up in the night convinced he is in the bed with us.