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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Drew's First Accident

Or should this be titled - Mummy's First Accident?

I hate nail clippers! I never use them. I have never needed to use them seeing as I've got a good set of teeth that do a pretty good job of biting them.

Yes, my name is Julie Anne Hartell and I'm a nail-biter.

There I said it.

I've always done it and even though one of my primary school teachers, Miss Wall, put me in the nail biting club in an effort to stop biting my nails, I thought it was great to be associated with other fellow nail-nibblers who felt the same compulsion to stick their fingers in their mouth and munch away.

Back to the point...Nail Clippers. I don't like them because it makes my hair stand on end just the thought of the metal touching the nail. Its the same sensation you get when you put the silver wrapping from a kitkat on one your metal fillings (if you have any!) in your teeth...yeaow!!!!!

But part of the package of being a parent is that you have to cut your baby's nails. If Daddy refuses, its left to Mummy. So, I've been cutting Drew's nails since I've no longer been able to bite them when they were soft and paper-thin.


Just the other day, I cut Drew's nails as normal and then she started crying. When I checked, I had accidentally missed her nail and snipped the end of her finger....ouch! With the blood oozing out, Drew's tears and red face was instant...poor thing.

Course, we didn't have any plasters in our first aid cabinet, so I used micro pore tape and cotton wool. This worked fine and stopped Drew's tears and the blood. We all forgot about the little accident and went out for the day.

On our return, Drew was on her activity mat, merrily turning herself over and then calling to be turned back again, making her usual funny squeaks. It was only when I turned Drew over did I realise...the micro pore plaster had vanished.

Panic set in immediately and I searched frantically around the activity mat for the cotton wool and tape. Drew must have thought this was hilarious as she kept smiling and laughing...smiling...and...what was that?...did I see that right?...a quick flash of something white in her mouth?...Drew smiled at me again and there it was...the micro pore tape and cotton wool! Sitting on her tongue! I managed to scoop it out quickly and my heart-rate returned to normal. Phew! Close call! It's true...they put EVERYTHING in their mouths!


Which also means we'll have to start hoovering more than just when the parents come to visit, otherwise Drew will be sucking up all manner of things we leave behind!

On a more positive note, Drew is getting stuck into putting other things in her mouth (edible stuff!). We can add Pear, Sweet Potato & Broccoli and Butternut Squash to the list. She's not so sure about Banana which she had for the first time today...but I don't blame her...when all mashed up, it does look a bit like sick!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

A whole new consistency!

Well the sweet potato and broccoli went down a storm! Drew munched down 2 x ice cube sized portions with very little coming back at all!

I totally forgot about the effect moving Drew onto solids would have...I mean apart from her sleeping better...I mean...in the toilet department.

I sort of thought her number twos would be more...what's the word... more... um... pickuppable... Is that a real word? Have I just invented it? On that note, I wonder what happens when someone invents a new word? Who do they tell? How do you get it registered? Anyone know? Worth looking into don't you think?!

So...yes...I thought her little dinner dumps would be more
"PICKUPPABLE*", but the only way to describe the consistency is that if you think of pate and then think of adding a bottle of wholegrain mustard...that's what it is like. Mustard pate. Not a nice thought I know, but it saves on the baby wipes as its not as runny as it has been lately. Drew seems to think its funny anyway. She always giggles when we change her nappy...probably cos' she knows what's in there!!!

Don't worry...I haven't added a photo of her new poohs, but I did manage to source a real image of mustard pate in a bowl which has an uncanny resemblance to Drew's baby bakerloo pooh. Enjoy!


(*copyright Julie A. Hartell)

Monday, April 14, 2008

S O L I D S

Yep. Drew is officially on solids.
We actually started solids with her 10days ago, but honestly, because of the change in her routine and her recent clingyness AND because I've been suffering with a cold and cough, I've been away from the PC a bit...sorry apologies for this late posting.

Drew started looking around when I was giving her her milk. She couldn't keep still. We thought she was showing an arty side as she seemed to like looking at the pictures on our wall...although her gaze at our wall art was always followed by a giggle. Either she knew we were having a hard time getting the teat in her mouth or she thought our choice of artwork was laughable. Probably both actually.

Drew was also waking in the early hours at about 2.00am, 3.00am, 4.00am and thumping her legs down inside her cot. A sure sign that she was still hungry...so we found out.

We weren't that keen on starting on her solids yet, but as everyone says...listen to your baby, they know what they want and will let you know and its very true.

We started her on baby rice (mixed with formula milk) and although the first few spoonfuls were met with a crumpled face and the entire contents of the spoon reappearing, sure enough, the baby rice started to go down well. After a week of baby rice for lunch, Drew was still showing signs of hunger, so we introduced a different flavour baby rice for breakfast - banana and orange. Whoa! Drew LOVES that!

Introducing two solid mealtimes seems to have done the trick. She still has her milk, but she is sleeping like a baby ('xcuse the pun) through the night. After two weeks of baby rice, I put Annabel Karmel into action and tried steamed pureed carrot. That was a winner too and she can't get it down quick enough!

Today, we introduced her first fruit puree (apple) and the face Drew pulled when she tasted it...it was like looking at Esther Rantzen!

I've since made Pear puree and Sweet Potato & Broccoli puree which we'll try after she's got used to the apple a bit more.

AND...Whoever invented using ice cube trays to freeze the puree is 'pure(e) Genius'...hee-hee!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Jumping Through Puddles

I have to be honest. Drew has been a dream recently. I have been gayly jumping and splashing around in puddles, metaphorically, for a fair number of weeks now.

Wearing my bright coloured wellies an
d holding my matching umbrella, I have been frolicking through crystal clear pools of water, kicking droplets into the air so the Spring sunshine glistens through...quietly humming nursery rhymes and songs from Jolly Babies...

Not a care in the world...

I didn't notice the big greyish puddle in front of me. The one with an odd
looking froth round the perimeter. The one with no sun on it.

I never saw it coming.
(I'm still talking metaphorically for those of you who have this vision of me dancing in wellies with an umbrella. Not JUST wellies and an umbrella you understand. I mean as well as my normal clothing, I am wearing wellies and carrying an umbrella...metaphorically speaking).

So back to my metaphoric ramble...

I step innocently forward, only to find myself neck-deep in the big dirty puddle. My wellies no
longer protecting my legs from the wet, but acting only as a container...making sure my legs are well and truly soaked through! The water is cold, smelly and I gasp to catch my breath. The dirty froth bobs around my body and I get a whiff as it splashes onto my face. The umbrella turns inside out sinks as if it knows there is no way out from this sinking wet pit.

Yep...you think you have got your baby's routine sorted and for no reason at all...WHACK! Someone slaps you around the face with a big wet fish and says 'Oh no you don't...try this for size!"

For what seems no reason at all, your baby's routine goes completely haywire, she wakes when she normally sleeps, she cries when normally she will play. You start losing sleep, you don't know whether she needs a feed, a sleep or play and whether she needs more food and so you can't leave the house because you can't plan anything. You manage to cook a meal for that evening but it takes all day and its all gone a bit dry. And then your partner, who returns from the office right at the end of the day to metaphorically rescue you from the deep wet puddle, says the worst thing possible...'I'm sure it will be fine. Shall we have a curry tonight?'
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