The einas start...

My little ladybug has fallen over after standing up against the coffee table (which she does the whole time!) - she cut her little itsy bitsy lip open on those new sharp top teeth.... her mommy's heart is sommer breaking :-(

She is so brave - cried for a few seconds and then I showed her the cute baby in the mirror (he he he) and she was giggling again.

I know she will get hurt lots still, but, ai, it is horrible to see her in pain. Wish I could keep her safe from all hurts for ever...

Upstanding citizen!

Imke is standing on her own! She just stood for 7 seconds (I counted as I was hovering behind her lol!!)

And then she bent down and put her hand on the floor and sat down. She is not falling so much anymore, she gets down from standing so nicely!

I start bawling each time she gets something new right. And I am so sad that Jeroen is missing all these things :-( 

Teething sucks..

Imke started sleeping through (from about 7pm to 6am) at 11 weeks - so we are the most spoiled parents ever.....
So we had 5 months of maybe 1 dummy call a night.
Recently, though, she is waking at about 12am, sitting up on her knees and banging her hands on the headboard of the cot - and humming & talking as if it is 10o'clock in the morning............. She doesn't want milk, she is just awake :-P
So last night I sat with her for almost an hour - battle of wills like you have never seen before!!!! She complained and fought with me - but in the end mommy's will prevailed - and she slept straight till 6:30am. (I did rub some Vidol on her gums, and gave her a sip of water)

I am thinking it is those blasted teeth that are sitting in her gums (they are so swollen and white...) but they just don't seem to want to erupt yet - argh....

So, needless to say, I am a bit of a zombie this morning (this waking thing has been going on for a week now...).

Blah, so don't like this teething thing...


But on a positive note - she is still as cute as a button :-D

Imke 4 Month Update

Name of baby: Imke
Birth date: 02 June 09
How old today: tomorrow she will be 4 months old!!!!!!
Birth stats: 3.24kg, 47cm
Current Weight & length: Will know tomorrow after the 4 month check-up but 2 weeks ago was 59cm & 5.8Kg
Recent milestone reached: She is trying to roll over from her back to her tummy!! And she is laughing & chatting away :-)
Next milestone: Sitting unsupported
How is baby sleeping at night? Like a baby LOL! She sleeps 11 - 13 hours a night. But the last weeks or so she has been waking up but doesn't want a bottle..... I suspect it is her teeth......
And day naps? she is awake for 90 - 100 minutes at a stretch, then she naps for anything from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Feeding times? Is every 3 hours - she eats well and I am thinking that solids are not too far off.....
What is baby doing right now? Waking up from her morning nap :-)
How is mommy feeling? tired but goooood & in love with my gorgeous baba :-P
How is daddy coping? Don't see her except for bath times & weekends. But he loves chatting to her & playing with her

Our routine at 4 months

06:21 Wake-up (I swear she has a built-in clock - every morning at 06:21 she says aghooooooo!!)
Bottle
Nappy change
Quiet Play
Nap (about 40 minutes)
Play

09:30 -ish
Nappy change
Bottle
Play
nap (about 30 - 40 minutes)
Play

12:30-ish
Nappy change
Bottle
Play
Nap (this one tends to be a little longer - about 55 minutes!)

15:30 -ish
Nappy change
Bottle
Play
nap (a 20 minute nap!)
Walkies
quiet play

18:00
Start bath routine: Put the same lullaby CD on every night.
Play with her quietly on the carpet while daddy gets the bath water
Get undressed
Bath (we take our time bathing her - she loves lying in the bath & Jeroen & I get to chat softly about our days. She loves 'talking' with us!)
Dry-off
Massage (a bit of tummy time while we massage her back!)
Get in to Jammies (she hates this part!)
Cuddles from Mommy
Then daddy gives her her last bottle of the night
He puts her in bed awake but drowsy :-)

We keep the room lit only by a lamp, so she already knows it is now sleepy time.

Imke 3 Month Update & my check-up

Went for my 3 month check-up this morning and all is hunky-dory. Doc said that if we want to have another baby we need to wait another 3 months & then we can start trying - he says as long as there is a year between births there should be no problemos :-) So I decided to skip the Mirena until we have decided IF & WHEN we want to try again - no use putting it in now & then taking out again in 3 months time..... SO the big discussions start........... LOL!

Also, asked the doc (just for interest sake) about the baby powder causing cervical cancer and he said that there is no truth in that. According to him the thing that causes cervical cancer is the HPV (Human Pappilon Virus). (But use your own judgment here, girls!)

Imke is doing wonderfully! She sleeps 11 - 12 hours a night but during the day she only naps for 35 - 45 minutes 3 times a day! So we play a lot and sing a lot and cuddle a lot! I enjoy her so very much! There are obviously times when it gets a bit much & I find myself wanting to get out a bit, but I miss her so much when I do go somewhere :-) She loves 'talking' and she makes the cutest sounds!!

Her gums are all white & swollen from her teeth coming in - so one of these days we are going to have teething rings in the fridge! Otherwise she is doing so well - she is a real little angel! We are so blessed with this little person in our lives!!

Imke 13 week update!

Baby name: Imke
Age: 13 weeks & 1 day
Birth date: 02 June 09
Birth stats: born 09:19, 3.24kg, 47cm
Current Weight & length: will know on Friday when we go for the 3month check-up & vaccinations
Recent milestone reached: the is reaching out for toys (oh and my hair!!!) and grasping so nicely! And the belly laughs are on their way - she tries to but it is not quite there yet :-) Oh, and she has discovered that her fists are the most tasty things on earth!
Next milestone: Ai, she holds her head up so well, but still slumps when propped up to sit - so that is the next BIG thing!
How is baby sleeping at night? She sleeps through yippee!!! from 19:30 till 06:30 most nights :-D
And day naps? not so great he he he! She loves to sleep where there is LOTS of noise for some strange reason!
Feeding times? Going well - she drinks about 140ml per feed on average!
What is baby doing right now? SLEEPING whoo hoo!!!
How is mommy feeling? Doing well - very tired but coping OK
How is daddy coping? The novelty has worn off a bit I think - he still tries to make it for bath time but not as religiously as in the beginning....

All in a days' work!

Average day of a mommy and an almost 3 month old baby ;-) 

Between 06:00 - 10:00 (depending what time she wakes up) - Nappy change, Feed, Sing-along time, Mommy-pull-faces-time, Nap

Between 10:00 - 15:00 - Nappy change, Tummy-time, Play-time, Feed, Singalong-time, Nap, Mommy-pull-faces-time, Nap

Between 15:00 - 18:00 - Nappy change, Feed, Play-time, Singalong-time, Nap, Walkies (this is Imke's most niggly time of the day!)

Between 18:00 - 19:30 - Get bath ready, Tummy-time, Bath-time, Massage time, getting into pajamas, Feed, Cuddles, Story-time, Sleep

REPEAT 7 days a week!

Oh, and a nap can be anywhere from a five minute 'power' nap to an hour & a half sleep :-)

On sleeping straight through the night and wedding anniversaries

We are doing so well - Imke surprised us on Saturday night with 9.5 hours of sleep. And on Sunday she slept 10 hours. And Monday 10.5 hours. And last night a whole 11 hours! From 19:00 till 6:00! It seems the trend will continue (hold thumbs!!) and that she is now going to sleep through just before her 3 month birthday heee haaa!

She is such a cutie - she loves 'talking' to mommy(ah-ghuuuuu) and she seems to 'sing' with when I sing to her! She ah-ghuu's along while I am singing and then stops when I stop singing - it is so darling!! She is also starting to reach for stuff - not much luck yet in grasping them but she gets sooo excited and flaps her little arms up & down!!

And it is my birthday on Sunday!!! AND our 1st wedding anniversary - whooo hooo! Jeroen seems to be planning all kinds of things cause I asked what are we doing and he said "wait & see" - so very excited :-)

Can't believe last year this time I was getting ready to marry this sweet man of mine (today a year ago I was being waxed to within an inch of my life LOL!!) and here we are a year later with a precious little baba!!! Wow is all I can say :-)

Poetic Justice..

Definition: Vice to be punished and virtue to be rewarded, but also for logic to triumph...

Ye, Gods, the person who coined that phrase must have been a new parent. I just know that he/she felt the same as I am feeling right now - the same ironic twist of fate that reveals itself to you as you consider your child's future.

I've spend so much of my life thinking that my sisters' rebellion was directly caused by my parents' overindulgence. That my detached attitude towards them stems from them not holding me or cuddling me enough. That my insecurities are due, in part, to not feeling loved enough by the two people who should, in all rights, love me the most.

And then, WHAM, the tables are turned. I have a child of my own. Now everything I do or don't do has an influence on this little human's life. NOTHING can prepare you for this feeling - it is just so overwhelming.

I want to do everything right, no mistakes. I do not want her to ever feel that I have let her down. But I guess that the rational part of me knows that that is just impossible. Even if a parent does everything in their power to do things 'right', there will come a time when, in your child's eyes you did the wrong thing. Even if the 'vice' was not deliberate it will be 'punished' :-)

And then I also just so wish with my whole heart & my whole soul that I can keep my baby from ever feeling sad or hurt. I wish I could save her from ever spilling a tear because of injustice or unfairness. But logic will prevail - I know I can not prevent all heartache from ever visiting my dearest little girl. I know I can not stop tears that are bound to fall. All I can do, and do to the best of my ability, is be there to dry those tears and to provide a safe place to fall.

Oh, brother but I am maudlin tonight :-) Forgive my ramblings friends - when you are so tired you can't sleep your mind does strange things he he he.

Can I just add one thing, please?

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE, LOVE, CHERISH MY LITTLE GIRL :-) I wish every person on earth could experience this feeling of utter unabashed, unselfish, unconditional love for another human being.