I take my hat off to single parents, and I now understand the quote "it takes a village to raise a child". Monday morning sucked because the Christmas break was over and Nic went back to work, I felt like a solo parent #dramaqueen 😂 and missed the extra pair of hands hugely, oh and the extra sleep from not having to do all the shifts haha!
It's a weird feeling because even though I've done it before so it wasnt scary this time it was still upsetting. I like being a team and we miss daddy every day!! But hey we survived and it's actually really cool being home with Kinsley now shes more awake and I can play with her hehe! ❤
Shes come a long way in a week with her awake time (even though she still has too much of it in the daytime ha! #naughtynapper) she loves laying on her playmat with me next to her analyzing my expressions and talking back to me in goo's and gaa's when I chat to her, or even little giggles. You can see she is trying real hard to figure out how to make sound come out every time, cuuuute. She also reaches out to our faces with her hands as she understands that when she touches something she sees she can feel it, she does hold her toys too but more by accident when she is reaching to hit or touch them haha (so sometimes she gets shitty at herself as if her grip is stuck 😅). Its the highlight of everyday for me watching her discover and try new things - I love my job 🖤
On Saturday (January 12th) we had our first ever swim at oma and opas! It was a scorching 29 degree day in muggy Auckland and mama was laying in the pool while it was filling up so we thought why not and she does love her bath! It didnt start well 😂 I didnt even think and grabbed her from aunty Caity with my freezing hands haha (#mumfail) and she got a huge fright and cried, but when we popped her feet in she wasnt pulling them out, but still crying then when I popped her bottom in she calmed down! So that was a win in my books so we stayed there for a couple of minutes then out to the playmat again ha!
It was aunty Jess's 24th birthday so we made her a card with Kinsleys footprints on the front (thank goodness for inkless prints haha as shit babies wriggle heaps 😂) safe to say I tried some of her hands too and it looked like she had no fingers lol. It's weird, I was so proud of the creation as simple as it was and I think it's because I've dreamt my whole life of being able to make things for my family with my children and this was the first ❤
We had a baby free night out for dinner with her on the weekend, Oma went to our house and looked after Kinsley it felt weird getting all dressed up and leaving her at home - 2 hours in I was texting asking if she was doing ok (she was in bed ha) and then as we were driving home I was wishing (out loud to nic) that she would be awake when we got home so I could squeeze and cuddle her as I missed her so much! I've popped out without her before but this was loooong haha!! It was so crazy how intensely I missed her but it was so nice to celebrate with my sister and see her surrounded by beautiful friends enjoying herself ❤🍰
Something I am loving more and more is storytime because Kinsley likes to look back and forward between the colourful pictures and then me reading, she smiles, reaches out and coos back. It's something we will definitely have as part of our routine as she gets older! Kids books are also amazing! Our current favourites are Sleepy Kiwi, Kiwicorn, Uni the Unicorn and Ten Little Fingers, Ten little toes 🙌🏻 The weekends are the best because we get to have morning storytime in bed as a family, my new kind of bliss!
I AM OBSESSED WITH BOWS and cant wait until Kinsley has longer hair for fountains and pigtails haha! I'm already picturing it and how I will do it.. So currently im training her lol she wears headband bows whenever we go out they are soooo cute (but also a top tip to dress up plain or potential outfits where people confuse her for a boy haha! We did have a lot of gender neutral outfits so perfect!).
Ok baby needs feeding that's enough rambling from me, on to week 11 😍
-Ax
Tips for the week:
- Baby swimming bottoms (and nappies, I use little rascals) are amazing at keeping them dry and warm! Post her swim I changed her expecting her bottom to be nice and cool and it was still toasty as because the water hadn't got in!!
- Block your bank account or PayPal between the hours of midnight - 4am ha! Because when your up feeding it's amazing where your tired brain leads those fingers... I may or may not have had 5 couriers this week 🙈
- Get your midwife to file your transfer papers to plunket early or harass Plunket once you have had your final LMC visit as my experience they have been pretty tough to get in with (they are super short staffed but also not amazing at getting in contact like they are meant to!) We FINALLY have our first visit this Thursday but pretty shitty Kinsley will be 10 weeks old and was meant to be seen closer to her 6week check!
- Keep up to date with your baby book monthly at least it's a great way to have fresh memories and feel like your achieving life haha #mumgoals I adore doing mine! Top tip warehouse stationery have an app you can send photos to print from your phone (at any hour haha) and just pop in and pick up or have delivered - No excuses now mamas 😜
