Joseph at 4 months - Monday 20th October

The weaning continues to go very well. He has now tried carrot, sweet potato, pear and banana as well as the baby rice. I think banana has been has favourite so far. Starting solids has also helped to get the little guy into more of a routine. He has milk when he wakes up at around 7am, then a nap around 9am, some baby rice with fruit around 10am, more milk around 11am, another nap at 11.30am, more milk at 3pm, followed by another nap, some veg at 4.30pm, and milk before bed at 7pm with a quick top up at 10pm. He's not quite sleeping through again yet, as he's still suffering with his teeth, and now his tummy as well, but although he's waking up he isn't feeding, so I'm happy with that.

You'll be relieved to hear that "a week in the life" is over, and I will no longer be blogging my days in quite so much detail!

This week, we had Rhythm Time on Monday, as usual. Joseph didn't enjoy it much this week, but he did manage to stay awake. I really need to try and schedule our routine on a Monday so that he is alert for the class. We had to make the decision about what we wanted to do next term, which starts in January. I'll be going to work part-time in February, and will be working Mondays, so we've had to request to change session, to a Tuesday. I think by the time January comes along, he'll be really enjoying it, so it'll be a shame to stop.

Joseph also had his final injections for this round on Monday afternoon. They seemed to upset him more this time, and he was also a little bit grouchy. I'm glad they're over as I hate taking him - I feel so mean. Especially this time, when he had to have three. On Tuesday Sally & Elliot came round for a chat and a play respectively. Unfortuantely Joseph was fast asleep until just before they left, so Elliot had to play on his own! On Wednesday the plumber came to remove the old boiler, and on Thursday we were confined to upstairs whilst the new one was installed. We managed to get out for an hour in the morning to go to the baby clinic. Joseph put on 11oz, so I was really pleased, as I'd been getting pretty concerned, even though he is clearly a healthy, happy baby. On Friday we went to Buggyfit, and yesterday, we went into Macc for the afternoon. Adam bought me a new Singstar game, and we spent yesterday evening playing it. Makes a change from Rock Band!

Joseph has been feeding loads recently and I've even had to feed him in the night again, so we've been counting down to his 17 week birthday to start solids! It finally came on Friday, so yesterday we got the baby rice out. It went surprisingly well. There was no crying, and no spitting and, although not much actually stayed in his mouth, I'm pretty sure he managed to swallow a small amount. We've tried again today, and I would say it was a success. He kept nearly all of it in his mouth and even seemed to enjoy it, whinging for more between spoonfuls. He managed to eat all of the bowl that I made up as well. Very proud of the little man, although he's growing up so quickly.

Joseph wakes for a feed at 5am and we go back to sleep after. Get up around 7.30. Coffee and toast for breakfast. We get dressed, pack our things up and load the car. We leave mum & dad's around 10.45. We visit Adam's Nana & Grandad - Nic and Glenn are there too. We then visit Adam's Gran & Grandad and have lunch with them. On the way home, we stop in at Natalie's to hand over cards and presents for her & Naomi. We leave around 4.45 and arrive home around 6.30pm. Unpacking and washing to do.

Joseph wakes up at 6am for a feed and goes back to sleep until 7.30. Cuppa and croissants for breakfast. Mum and I go into Leicester with Joseph to run a few errands before going to visit my nan. Adam spends the day with family. Joseph spends the afternoon fighting sleep, and finally falls asleep around 5pm. I leave him sleeping downstairs and go for a wallow in the bath. He wakes up, downs his bottle and cries for more, so mum brings him up to me and I feed him in the bath. So much for me time! I wash him and mum takes him off to get him ready for bed while I wash my hair. The little guy starts crying and remains distraught for quite some time. He's over tired. Big time. We walk to the local pub for a meal, hoping that he will fall asleep. He doesn't, so Adam and I walk round the block with him, while mum and dad go ahead. He's still not asleep when we arrive, but he's calm, and eventually drops off while we're at the table. I have a delicous meal of chicken stuffed with stilton with bubble & squeak, rounded off with a chocolate brownie and a cappucino.

7.15 – joseph still asleep. Am feeling good for a better night’s sleep. I get up and start getting on with some jobs for the day. Rinse out bottle and breast pump and put in steriliser. Sort out some paperwork

7.30 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

7.50 – make coffee

8.00 – sort photos with yesterday. Cross with myself as only taken 5 pics and all poor quality. The light in this house is so bad.

8.30 – not wanting Joseph to sleep too late, I go upstairs and start pottering, hoping that the noise and my presence will wake him up. He wakes up as I walk up the stairs. I feed him, get him dressed and also dress myself

9.30 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks. Realise I have to go out to Buggyfit in 45 minutes and haven’t had breakfast yet. Is it too late to cook sausage and bacon?

9.35 – start cooking breakfast

9.55 – eat breakfast

10.00 – feed Joseph

10.20 – head out to Buggyfit

1.00 – arrive home. Chat with Adam on the phone, feed Joseph, eat lunch. Check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

1.30 – start panicking about how much there is to do before we have to head out to mum & dad’s.

1.35 – change Joseph’s nappy, wash up, take a shower, pack the bags. Feed joseph, change nappy again.

3.10 – leave for mum & dad’s. traffic is bad, as get caught up in the school run

5.45 – arrive at mum & dad’s. eat tea. Adam feeds Joseph. Mum & I go out to watch Jekyll & Hyde at the Little Theatre in Leicester.

5.30 – Joseph has been awake for half an hour and is not resettling, so we bring him in to our bed.

5.50 – the little guy goes back to sleep

6.30 – Adam’s alarm goes off and he gets up

6.45 – Joseph wakes up

6.50 – feeding time

7.20 – Adam comes to say goodbye

7.25 – Joseph & I go downstairs and get more goodbye kisses!

7.30 – I make myself a coffee and we go back upstairs. Play with the little man while I drink it

8.00 – I have a shower

8.15 – I get Joseph dressed and then get dressed myself

8.30 – put Joseph to bed

8.45 – he falls asleep. I check email, facebook

9.10 – get ready to go out

9.15 – go to baby clinic. Joseph wakes. He’s only put on 4oz and it’s been 2 weeks since he’s been weighed. Health visitor seems unconcerned, even though I’m worried.

10.40 – arrive home. Joseph sleeps on the way. Peg washing out

10.50 – chat with mum on the phone

11.00 – joseph wakes up and I feed him

11.20 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

11.30 – put lunch on. Change nappy, and top as he’s been sick

12.00 – eat lunch of pasta in sauce. Order photos online for a present.

12.10 – get ready to go out

12.15 – leave for nursery, via the petrol station

12.45 – arrive at work. Spend a few hours at nursery, chatting with my friends and letting joseph get used to the environment. Sarah gives him a bottle at 2pm.
3.50 – arrive home. Joseph sleeping

4.10 – joseph wakes and is distraught. I give him lots of cuddles and apply teething gel.

4.35 – joseph calms down and is playing on the floor

4.45 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

5.00 – bring in the washing. Joseph starts to get whingey, so we play. I sort the laundry, Adam comes home, I make tea, feed Joseph, we eat tea, bath Joseph, put him to bed, look through some old photos, talk to the plumber on the phone about the new boiler, sit down and look at our finances and sort out the insurance claim from when the car got broken in to.

9.05 – our time is finally our own!

4.45 – Joseph is awake and won’t go back to sleep. Bring him in to our bed. After half an hour or so he starts to wind down and I think he’s close to sleep, so I return him to his own bed. He’s not impressed, so take him back out for a cuddle. He’s now decided he’s hungry, so I feed him. He falls asleep and I return him to his cot. This seems harder than when he was newborn.

6.00 – return to bed. Adam’s alarm clock goes off after half an hour and I do my best to stay asleep while he gets up, without ignoring him totally.

7.30 – adam comes to say goodbye and I go back to sleep properly

8.20 – joseph wakes up. He’s full of smiles as I change his nappy and dress him. I do my best to forget my tiredness.

8.30 – I go and make a coffee and return to the bedroom, laptop in hand

8.45 – Joseph is hungry. I feed him while checking email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks. He falls asleep on my lap.

9.10 – I risk moving the little guy. Procrastinate on the internet

9.30 – get dressed

9.40 – I text Sally to make plans for later and she calls back, which wakes Joseph.

9.45 – still not dressed, what have I been doing for the last 15 minutes?

10.00 – go downstairs to make breakfast. The plumber arrives to take details for a quote for a new boiler. Eat breakfast, wash up, make coffee

11.10 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks.

11.15 – play with Joseph

11.30 – put the little guy to bed. Sort laundry – it’s never ending!

11.50 – he falls asleep. Clean & tidy bedroom

12.15 – make lunch

12.20 – just as I take my first bite, Joseph wakes up. Bring him downstairs then eat whilst browsing the web

12.40 – using notes from this week, start analysing Joseph’s routine

12.55 – change nappy

1.00 – feeding time

1.20 – get ready to go out
1.30 – go out with Sally & Elliot to the Discovery Centre. Very interesting to see lots of old pictures of Bollington

3.10 – arrive home and sit outside with a glass of juice and a choc ice

3.20 – the little guy starts getting whingey so we go inside.

3.25 – check email, facebook, flickr, blogs, uks

3.30 – play with Joseph

4.00 – feed the little guy

4.30 – go out to meet Adam from work

5.45 – return home. Have drink outside.

5.50 – Joseph starts crying big time

6.00 – Adam gives Joseph his bottle while I go to the chippy

6.30 – I return home. Joseph starts crying as soon as he sees me.

6.45 – Joseph is getting increasingly upset, but doesn’t seem hungry. Got a glimpse of broken skin on his bottom gums, so filled his mouth with teething gel! We suspected he was teething a couple of weeks ago, so it's good to see we were right. He fell asleep fully clothed on Adam, so we've put him to bed without a bath and PJs for now, as we get him up at 10pm for a feed anyway

7.15 – settle down on the sofa with a glass of wine.