Bigger and better adventures

Following a recommendation from the hospital physiotherapists, we have been putting more time into helping Talia sit. I started by sitting her up in a sturdy cardboard box, and more recently bought her a second-hand Bumbo seat, from where she can watch me hanging out laundry or pottering in the kitchen. I wedge her between cushions, toys and my legs, so that she can sit up and play without any fear of hurting herself when her balance fails and she pitches sideways or backwards. Or occasionally forewards, her head curving in a slow and graceful arc which ends as she kisses the carpet.

Up until last night, Talia always needed the support of an adult finger in her hand, or a leg behind the small of her back. Then, we noticed that she seemed to be leaning forward almost confidently, and we moved back, leaving space behind her. And she stayed sitting! She played with her toys, waved her arms around and generally behaved like someone who has been sitting for months, not minutes.

My husband and I were as excited as if Christmas had come already. I grabbed my camera and took a dozen or so photos - most of which were blurred due to Talia waving her arms or moving her head. Maybe she was doing a happy dance too!

Today, December 20, Talia is exactly nine months old, six months corrected. Halfway through one of the most amazing developmental years of her life, and we are as proud as parents can be.

This post (6 month update) was also placed on the main LAP blog, following on from Talia’s 5 month update, 4.5 month update and 3 month update.

Slowly we are making use of what the real world has to offer, in a way that I would not have contemplated in the first few months after Talia came home from hospital.

Last Thursday we went shopping, catching the train half a dozen stops to a big retail complex. Talia was very well behaved, in what was probably the longest time she has spent in a pram. She was tired and cranky by the end of it, but I was really pleased to have finally gone clothes shopping, with the baby, for the first time since she came home. I didn’t buy anything for Talia - she is the lucky recipient of many excellent hand-me-downs from one of my best friends, who has a little girl a few months older. So I bought my friend a voucher for Pumpkin Patch - so that she can choose some nice new outfit which I anticipate will later become another fabulous hand-me-down.

Now I’m looking forward to doing it again!

After a couple of weeks where she hardly said anything, Talia has resumed chatting and is now starting to make some new noises. Last night, after a busy day visiting her great-grandmother and grandparents and being a star attraction at my work Christmas drinks, she had plenty to say.

I’m sure I heard her say “d” for the first time, and she has also started trying to blow raspberries. I may regret it when she blows a raspberry while I’m trying to feed her, but at the moment it is just very cute.

It was last night of her first Hannukah. It doesn’t have quite the photographic opportunities that come with Christmas, but it was still special for us.

Corrected age: 5 months, 3 weeks
Weight: 5.555kg (yes, today has been brought to you by the number 5!)
Diet: breastmilk, formula, a smidge of vegetable mixed with farex and milk

We’re back with the solids, but not very convincingly. I’m starting to wonder if the tongue is a problem, so I asked the child health nurse this morning if it was abnormal for her to be sticking it out so much. She said it might just be a habit, or it might be the sign of an underlying problem - but she is not qualified to comment. So I’ll just have to wait and see.

I have a freezer full of orange icecubes - sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot. I’ve also discovered that orange coloured mush is really hard to wash out of bibs.

I wasn’t expecting to hear from the hospital until shortly before Talia’s 8 month check up in February, but today I received an “infant temperament questionnaire - 6 months” in the post. It is LONG - 95 questions! I intend to ignore it until later in the month. Don’t ask me what that says about parent temperament.

This rocker is popular…

We went to our monthly group physio appointment at the hospital this afternoon.

I don’t know why it is, but Talia hates it. She transforms from a placid, happy baby into a wailing, uncooperative mess every time we go. I’m starting to wonder if she doesn’t like the smell or the lights - because there is nothing else I can see that is particularly different about the place, and she starts fussing even before we ask her to do anything.

I also find these visits stressful, partly because Talia is unhappy, and partly because it becomes ever clearer how far behind she is falling compared to babies of similar corrected age. She is 5.5 months corrected (8.5 months actual) and shows no signs of wanting to roll yet. She doesn’t automatically reach and play with toys, or bring her hands together often, and she doesn’t play with her feet at all.

Finally today they told me they feel she would benefit from one-on-one sessions in addition to the group sessions, so we will be starting in January. We are hoping to avoid the situation where she becomes frustrated because mentally she wants to progress but physically she is not capable.

Talia’s “boyfriend” Reuben also comes to these group sessions. Reuben and Talia were born on the same day, with only 2 days difference in gestation, but Reuben has always been larger. In the beginning Talia was 855g where Reuben was something over 1kg. Now Talia is 5.4kg and Reuben is a whopping 8.7kg.

It’s so cute to see them together!

This is another of our favourite songs at the moment, usually sung as I am feeding but also at other times when I am busy with Talia and feel the need to keep both of us amused. I make up random lyrics depending on my mood, some I remember and sing again and others I forget as soon as I’ve sung them. It is almost entirely meaningless but I like the tune!

She’ll be slurping on her mother when she comes (repeat)
She’ll be slurping on her mother, ‘coz she hasn’t anyone other
She’ll be slurping on her mother when she comes

She’ll be wearing a pink nappy when she comes (repeat)
She’ll be wearing a pink nappy, and be looking oh so snappy
She’ll be wearing a pink nappy when she comes

She’ll be sucking on a bottle when she comes (repeat)
She’ll be sucking on a bottle, until she’s drunk the lottle
She’ll be sucking on a bottle when she comes

Singing key-eye-yippy-yippy-eye (repeat)
Singing key-eye-yippy, key-eye-yippy
Singing key-eye-yippy-yippy-eye

Yesterday Talia rolled from front to back, twice! After the second time (proving it wasn’t a complete fluke) I was so excited I grabbed my camera, ready to catch the next roll… which never happened. But it was still a nice little video clip so here it is:

(Sorry, I can’t figure out how to embed the video into the blog, you will need to go and see it on YouTube)

Tummy Time!

I needn’t have worried about the childcare situation - I contacted my line manager and she told me that due to budgetary constraints, they would not be taking on any casual staff in 2008. So I will put myself back on the waiting list until after next winter. It feels like the right decision.

Today we tried carrot (mixed with formula and farex). Some of it stayed in, and we’ll try a bit more tomorrow.

Tonight was the first night of Hannukah. It was strange to be lighting candles and singing to Talia by myself, but Daddyfeatures is in Singapore again, all week. It is the first time he has been away since Talia came home from hospital. I thought I might feel lonely but between Talia and the cat and the computer, I am too busy!

Corrected age: 5 months, 2 weeks
Weight: 5.410kg
Diet: breastmilk, formula

Giving up solids for a week certainly didn’t do Talia’s weight any harm! Up 245g, the most she has put on in a week, ever. Certainly the most since she left hospital.

I started solids again today, farex mixed with pear and I am fairly sure more stayed in than came out again.

One of my mothers’ group sent me the following email, and I knew just how she felt.

Whoever said there’s no use crying over spilt milk was a cold, heartless bastard, if he was standing next to a woman with a breast pump in one hand and a dropped bottle on the floor.
…take it from me.

I have decided not to express milk any more. I was doing it in the evening after Talia goes to bed, but I just can’t be bothered. I’m offering breast only first thing in the morning, and breast before bottle the rest of the day. I don’t know how long it will last, but hopefully through to the end of the year. I’ve already managed to go longer than I thought would be possible!