At the Baby’s last check up we were concerned to see he had slipped into the ‘below average’ bracket for his weight. Worried but not surprised as we battled with not one but two nasty stomach bugs this summer. The Baby wasn’t exactly chunky to begin with.
So now meal times, which were not exactly relaxing before have an extra layer of pressure added to them.
It’s really hard trying to find the balance between making sure he gets the calories and setting ourselves up for fussiness in the future. Try as I might I can’t force him to eat. Believe me, I have tried.
I don’t want to be constantly giving him his favorites or something different when he doesn’t eat. Any advice form parenting veterans is much appreciated.
What we’ve wound up with is some very odd meal combinations. For example today saw a starter of mince and mashed potatoes with a main course of grapes and two pieces of cheese and some Cheerios for dessert. Yesterday was sausage, followed by pasta, watermelon, bit more sausage and humus.
I also feel too worried to try to sleep train him again so we’re back to multiple nightly wake ups and bottles. Sigh. Yawn.
Have you ever had any concerns with your children’s weight gain?
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Excuses
My post today is late and without cartoons. Deepest apologies. I offer this photo to you as an excuse/explanation:
Flippin’ exhausted. Will do better tomorrow 🙂
My Own Greek Goddess Moment
You know those painting of Greek gods lounging around while some someone feeds them peeled grapes? I’m wondering if the painter used some artist license.
I’ve never seen a painting where the grape feeder licks the grape first before giving it to the god though.
A One Year Old Smart Aleck
The Baby has learned to point. I thought this milestone would alleviate some of his frustrations as he found a way to communicate his wants and needs to us. Especially seeing as I never got around to opening that Baby Signing book.
‘What do you want, Baby? Water? Yes? OK, here’s some water.’
‘OK, not water. What do you want?’
‘OK, um…milk? Would you like some milk? Yes?’
‘OK, not milk. What else is on the table? Um… keys? Wipes? You need your nappy changed?’
‘Fruit? Are you hungry?’
Well at least one of us is less frustrated by this new found communication.
Like Mother, Like Son…Apparently
Every day the Baby gets a little older, a little more independent and a little more able. It’s really fun to watch him acquire new skills. What is less fun is the frustration which is appearing more and more rapidly when he is unable to do what he wants.
A increasing pitch of ‘nyeh, nyeh, nyeh’s which eventually make the short jump to full blown screaming, is a fairly regular background track at the moment. These mini fits of hysteria can be brought about by a multitude of occurrences, from being unable to reach something he wants to being unable to force a square peg into a round hole.
Upon our latest bout of this rage the Mummy informed me, ‘Yes, he’s definitely your son.’
I have no idea what she could be referring to….
How to Survive a Holiday with a Baby
Despite our mega-journey we actually had a lovely holiday in Spain. Here are some top tips I’ve garnered to help you make the most of your vacation with your horror.
1. Go self-catered.
This one was key for me. We stayed in a lovely villa with my parents and two of their friends. We had a fully equipped kitchen for me to prepare meals and snacks for the Baby. Jetlag plus the fact that the little guy is a touch high maintenance means he is not always on everyone else’s meal schedules, especially not the southern Spanish’s. I’d have hated rushing round trying to find somewhere open not full of smokers in the 8 and a half minutes we have between the Baby letting us know he’s hungry and a full meltdown ensuing.
We also had an outdoor eating area and portable highchair so he could throw three meals a day on the floor without any waiters glaring at me.
An added bonus was our villa came with it’s own pool. No getting up at the crack of dawn to grab a sunbed. No carrying three million things to take the baby swimming for 15 minutes and then trying to remember to take it all back again. Bliss. Plus the mummies could jump in for a quick swim and cheeky cocktail during mojito time nap time.
We were lucky enough to have help with the accommodation from my parents but house swapping and/or sharing a villa with friends is a great way to keep holiday costs down. Self catering is much cheaper than eating out for every meal for two weeks too.
2. Go with back up.
Lets face it, time spent with a one year old is not relaxing, and never will be. To combat this I recommend holidaying with other people who don’t yet know what spending hours and hours with a 1 year old is like. Top of my list would be grandparents who haven’t seen the baby for a few months and friends of a grandparent-ing age who don’t have grandchildren of their own and would like to borrow yours for a few hours. Gleefully hand him over and retreat inside for a siesta.
3. Go for a routine.
Ours came about naturally. He mostly had his meals at 7, 12 and 6. He napped around 9 and 1. He slept from 6.30-7.00pm. All these times were a little flexible and there were days where he missed naps but overall it made life easier. During the day at least. The little terror still hasn’t figured out sleeping through the night.
4. Go out and about.
Loads of fun things to do and explore in a new place. All that stimulation is bound to wear out your tot and bring cocktail hour (aka bedtime) on a little faster.
5. Go for it.
We’ve put off going on holiday for ages as I thought it would just be a struggle but I really enjoyed myself. Might even consider another little trip in the next few months…if someone figures out teleportation by then.
 What are your tips for enjoying a holiday with kids?
My 19 Babies
With a huge sigh of relief I am happy to report that our evacuation of our 19 embryos from Thailand was a success. Our future baby making prospects are safely out of the government’s hands, tucked in nicely to a freezer in Madrid.
A few people who I have told have teased me about us potentially having 20 children total. Can you imagine?
Um…yeah…nope. The more mathematically minded of you may have noticed I couldn’t even bring myself to draw 20 children.
Don’t worry, world. I am not about to inflict 20 of my spawn upon you. Even if reality TV has a sudden space in it’s scheduling.
How to Fly with a Baby
We have returned from our mega journey to Spain. Please allow me to share with you some of the wisdom I collected on our 22 hour, 3 plane journey.
1. Pack your hand luggage lightly and strategically.
Needless to say we failed epically on this count and had to lug three tons of stuff through every security checkpoint. We were prepared for every eventuality though.
2. Begin or end your journey from an Asian country, preferably Thailand.
This might not be the most practical advice for your holiday but I stand by it. I avoided immigration and security queues (which were significant) both on the way in and out. In Suvarnabhumi airport, the baby and I was ushered into an empty security room where pleasant officers even helped me repack my bags.
3. Remember that the person carrying the baby through customs also needs to carry the milk.
As the Baby and I swanned, stress-free through priority security the Mummy was left in the regular line fighting to keep our 10 cartons of milk we had packed for our mammoth trip. Thankfully a sympathetic, parent security guard took pity on her. Phew.
4. Allow the baby to play on the floor for the hour after you board before you take off.
It’s nice getting on before everyone else and getting settled but it does mean that you’re on an hour before a long haul flight begins to taxi. Don’t make our mistake and get everyone buckled in too early.
5. Sleep when the baby sleeps.
Because you sure as heck wont be sleeping when he’s awake.
6. Prepare witty come backs for people who are mean about your baby.
A woman sitting near us with her baby was heard to admonish her fellow passenger with a loudly proclaimed: ‘My baby’s crying isn’t nearly as annoying as your snoring!’. The female passenger immediately ceased her sighing and tutting.
7. Know that your baby will choose the most inconvenient time to poop.
Ever tried to get out of the row when everyone has their meals on their tray tables in front of them? Try doing that with a grabby, poonami baby tucked under your arm.
8. Try to plan your first stop to be with family so you have something to look forward to.
Have you attempted a mega journey with kids? What advice would you offer?
The Baby is ONE!
Happy Birthday, Baby!
At 00.30 on this day last year, after almost a week of coaxing you out you were placed on my chest for the first time. Despite what you’d just done to my lady parts and despite the fact that you were very hot, wet and stinky I feel head over heels for you that day.
It’s been amazing how you’ve grown during the last year. It seems like every day you get a bit bigger and a bit more able to get into mischief. That tiny newborn who wailed every two hours for months had turned into a boisterous baby on the cusp of toddlerhood.
When you firmly push the dog away, throw yourself down a slide headfirst or initiate a game I get a little glimpse of the boy you will become. Take your time, little one. Mama is in no rush for that day.
Imagine the fun we’re going to have together this year! It wont be long until you have us chasing you around and you start telling us ‘no!’. Think of all the food you’ll try for the first time, all the places we’ll visit and all the things you’ll learn. I can’t wait, sweetheart.
One request though? You’re not a little baby anymore so let’s give this sleeping through the night thing a whirl, m’kay?
Love from Mama
Bad Parenting Moment
