Getting to grips

Well, it's been another few days of ups and downs.

The ups have pretty much been isolated to Emily sleeping loads. The downs obviously involve her awake-time activities, or should that be activity - feeding.

We assume she's going through another growth spurt as she's spending all her awake time suckling at the teat.

It's making Sue rather forlorn as she's merely a food conduit, and can't really enjoy Emily on any other level at the moment.

Me being dad, and feeling quite neutered not being able to help with the fooding, am trying to help out in other ways.

I took Em out for a stroll around the neighbourhood yesterday in the pram and sourced dinner and am doing laundry and nappy changes where I can.

Now that life is becoming a bit more routine with the baby (if that's possible yet), we're moving on to "phase two" activities, getting all the legal and paperwork stuff out of the way.

With Emily's registration last week, we can move on to getting her a passport and claiming for benefits and childhood credits. Also need to sort out a bank account so we can begin regular deposits into her education / PS3 / booze on 18th birthday / new car fund.

Managed to nab another cute pic of Emily. This time she's ready to go with her bluetooth headset sorted out!

Registered

Went to the registry office in Sutton today and got Emily all good and registered like. She's now legal as Emily Patricia Archdall John.

We got a birth certificate so she can get a passport, got a form for her to register for the doctor and signed a form that will go in the public records. Many years from now, when our ancestors are doing family tree stuff, the document I signed today will form part of their research. History in action!

Our appointment at the office was at 9.40, so for the first time since Em was born we had to set the alarm (found this funny as any sleep past 6.30am is pretty much non-existent). Anyway, last night lying there watching Magnum P.I. on DVD (oh yeah baby!) it hit me that I had only 9 hours of sleep left before I had to be up, then 8. You just lie there worrying that you can't get to sleep and the pot of sleep you can have is growing ever so smaller.

When we've been getting up whenever we wanted to, it wasn't a problem, now there was a finite time, it's terrifying.

We had another adventure in the car today, we went to Carshalton. We decided to combine the travel system with the car seat. Walked around Grove Park and the Carshalton Ponds then went for a bite to eat. Emily was absolutely amazing, the kind of baby you wish you could have on days out. Quiet, and lovely.

This afternoon, we had Sue's new health care worker come visit today. She gave us some literature, let us know when the jabs and appointments for Em will be and weighed and took her height. She's still hovering around 4.5 kg and is definitely 57in long (yes, just shy of 2 ft!!)

As I type, I'm looking after the crap-factory in the lounge, as mummy is so tired she's in her "I don't want a baby any more" phase. I was here just the other night so I understand. I'm really happy to give mummy time to rest, but am super paranoid about what to do if baby actually needs a feed. I can change her, cover her, put her dummy in her mouth but I am biologically barred from feeding her.


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Tired... and where do the hours go?

Why is it that with a child time seems to have sped up? I was used to a 24 hour day feeling about 18 hours usually. Now we have a baby (or time vacuum as they actually are), a 24 hour day feels about 5 hours long. I blink and the baby's already over a week old. I'm back to work a week tomorrow and Easter came and went in the blink of an eye.

To add to the time concerns, both Sue and I are quite tired, not feeling 100% and prone to being snappy. I can usually keep it together but the veneer tends to slip the more I get exhausted.

We went out today in the car. This is the first car-venture since we came home a week ago. We dropped mummy off at the doctor's then went to the chippie for mummy's lunch, followed by hanging out in The Oaks, a local park. All topped off with Emily's first trip to Asda.

Excitement!

This evening has been filled with Emily feeds, then crying when she's taken from the feeding-machine. Sheesh. Sometimes you think it HAS to END!!

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What's goin' on?

Marvin Gaye asked it in 1971, I'm asking it today - "What's goin' on"?

For the last two days our little bundle of joy has been devil spawn with her screaming, crying, and general not going to sleep.

Last night she slept what we adults would almost classify a full night's sleep. Today, she's been asleep more than awake, even when the mid-wife came to check her out. She stirred, went back in the Moses basket and whoop, she was out.

Tonight, she's been a bit grumpy, but nothing a feed couldn't solve.

It's been nice, especially after the last couple of days. Sue and I are just trying to distil the issue, much like on an episode of CSI. Is it a growth spurt? Is she over stimulated with all the new people she's met? Is she just coming to terms with being in a new home? Is her gastrointestinal system working out some kinks as it gets used?

We may never know, but as long as she's serene and happy and there's no more blood curdlers, we won't have to further out examination.

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Good sleep

Not sure if it was the Easter Sunday champagne or the blood curdling screams, but Emily decided to have quite a long sleep last night. It was amazing and very, very lovely!

I woke up around 10am with Emily laying next to me, calm and just looking around. What a difference from the distressed cries of last night.

Emily John: Blood Curdler!

For the most part Emily's been a good newborn. Sue and I have attempted to understand her communication - which has mainly focused on "I NEED TO EAT".

This evening - Easter Sunday - however, and to some part yesterday, Emily has been emitting screams of a blood curdling nature which can only be interpreted as one thing "I AM IN PAIN". Now I'll be the first to admit that we have a windy baby, which is not uncommon. However, when that wind goes in (as extra gulps during feed, etc.) and doesn't come out, you have issues.

You can only burp a newborn for so long before you start looking for other reasons for the horrible screams of distress. When you have a baby screams DURING feeding you can pretty much assume things are wrong.

By trial and error and the eventual sweet relief of baby fart noises, we eventually got Emily off to sleep, but the in-between time has been quite trying. There's anti-gas drops you can get for infants which we may get for the bad times, but I assume you have to administer them BEFORE the baby is in distress, which could be problematic.

Sue is also playing to over-stimulation card. We did have a few people over for Easter dinner and it was quite hectic with the cooking and celebratory bubbly out.

Thankfully tomorrow we only have one set of visitors.

Inconsolable you

Having thought we'd come to grips with Emily, today's thrown us a complete curve ball.

She's been grouchy and inconsolable almost all day. Having read up in the books and on the net, it looks like she's going through a growth spurt already! So no colic, which is a Godsend! The first growth spurt is apparently around day seven and can last sometimes a week!

She's been perpetually hungry, eating all the time and falling asleep during feed. When we move her, she wakes up, grizzles and needs a feed again. If this were to continue for any length of time, I can imagine it would try our patience to no end. Please, please, please, just be a growth spurt!

Emily is a week old today. At 11.38 she achieved 168 hours alive, around 100 of those awake... as the bags under mummy and daddy's eyes are beginning to attest.

We went to our new favourite eatery today for a coffee and a getting out of the flat expedition. Just like Thursday it was a HORRID day out, weather-wise. Grey, cold and windy. Still not sure why we didn't go out yesterday, at least there was sun!

We only had one visitor today. I think yesterday when Paul, Sally and Ben were here that dear little Em got a touch over stimulated. Having said that, I've been playing my guitar while mummy and daddy sang to her today. If that's not crazy stimulation, I'll eat my shoe.

Tomorrow is Easter and we have a nice roast meal to be getting on with. Times like this I'm glad MY mum's here.

getting to grips with this being

We had quite the adventure today. Woke up around 10 am!!!! After Emily had woken us up at 6am for a feed (having previously fed and fallen asleep around midnight), I managed to collapse back into a sleep deprived heap for a few hours.

The health visitor / mid-wife showed up around 10.30 to show us how to care for Emily, hygiene-wise. The daily wash mixed with the weekly bath was demonstrated.

Before we knew it, it was almost 1pm and "Uncle John" had come over for a visit, and to join us on our latest adventure - leaving the flat. I originally envisioned a glorious warm, sunny day for this, so obviously the actual rainy, gloomy, cold wet Thursday was a bit of a let down.

However, we persevered and went to the local library for some lunch (they have a lovely cafe out back). During our lunch, Em acted up and Sue had to do an impromptu feed, realising she wasn't actually dressed for it (not the easiest access top, you see).

Eventually made it back to the flat after acquiring a further two pacifiers and attempted to have a nice quiet evening in.

As I type this, Sue has lost the battle with consciousness and is passed out in the bedroom, while Emily dozes beside me, pacifier lying next to her. I am catching up on this blog and listening to some Smiths.

The more life changes, the more it stays the same. Fingers crossed Em stays asleep for a bit, but it's nice to know that powered by pacifier, she CAN be awake and not feed! Gives Sue's boobs a break and us a chance to talk and sing to her without her wailing like a banshee.

Everyday we're learning!

First full day at home

Emily woke us up this morning, some time around 6am. Wonderful, start as you mean to go on, kid.

Got a nap around 9 and woke up when the community mid-wife showed up around 10. Also received a really nice and unexpected bunch of flowers, balloon and stuffed Gund teddy bear from my colleagues at work, so that was quite nice.

Apart from that action, today has been spent pleasing Emily. It seems that when she's awake she's hungry and then there's the sleep state. We figured out this afternoon while changing her that we need to introduce stimulation into her life - something besides mum and dad on the bed and mum's boob lunging for her face. We have a nice Disney mobile situated near the change table that was a gift from Canada-ways. Having that on while changing Em really pre-occupied her, which was good.

Later this evening, we decided to try the dummy / soother in her mouth when she makes the sucky-sucky motion and see if that works, and hopefully give mum's nip-nips a break. She enjoyed it apart from spitting it out every few seconds by accident. I ended up singing nonsense to her as well so she could hear some soothing tones and hopefully go to sleep. After MANY false starts she's finally nodded off, with mum beside her.

I know Sue's done the sleep deprivation gig for a few days longer, but this sucks. I'm exhausted, irritable and have had a lingering headache all day. This, dear reader, is only the beginning! OUCH

Crashed out!

My two ladies are fast asleep in our bed. Sue managed to hold it together when we got home long enough to have a much needed shower, open a card and present from me and feed Em.

On the way home, we stopped in at Mothercare for a nursing pillow which Sue went in and bought (as she needed the loo as well). On returning to the car, she announced that someone had forgotten they'd just had major surgery. We then went to Asda for a few bits and our initial plan - walk around the shop with the baby in her basket in the trolley went out the window. Sue sat in the car feeding the little breast demon while daddy did the shop.

Waiting for Sue to wake up now before I order some take away to celebrate our first night in the flat as a full family.

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