Tag Archives: Baby

In other words, Juno is now 11 months old. It’s kinda mind-blowing to think it’s been nearly a year since she was born.

Juno’s current favourite activity is hanging out at the sliding door to our balcony. Sometimes she just sits there, other times she gets up on her feet with her hands on the door base (which is about 15cm off the floor). But her favourite thing is plucking balls out of her ball pit, dropping them out the door and watching where they go. It’s very cute when she does it. She’s very precise when she picks up the ball but she doesn’t always manage to hang on to them so the balls are ending up everywhere.

She’s also very into her stackable toy. Juno is actually playing with it right now, taking a cup out and then putting it back. It’s quite amazing to watch her when she plays. Everything is interesting and she can be utterly fascinated by something an adult would find quite boring.

Childcare is going well which is a huge relief. The carers in her room are lovely and they all seem to really like Juno (who I think is considered a pretty laidback baby by them). I’m really happy with the centre. It’d definitely not the most modern one I’ve seen but the kids are so well looked after and that’s what really matters. Plus Juno really likes there 🙂

We’re done!! I’m off.

My little bubba boo is ten months old. Which means she won’t be my little bubba boo for that much longer. Well, that’s not true because she’ll always be my little bubba boo, even when she’s 35 (and will be mortified to think I ever called her bubba boo).

Juno has been a busy little bee in the last couple of weeks. She’s mastered crawling, kneeling and appears to be trying to stand. The cot has been dropped so now we don’t have to worry about her working out how to pull herself up into standing and then falling out.

Her latest thing is to get herself in the downward dog pose – hands flat on the floor, up on her feet with her butt sticking up in the air. It’s hilarious to see but less so when she does a face-plant and starts crying. Then it’s time for cuddles.

She’s also licking everything. The floor, the walls, the sliding door… Which is why we don’t bother sterilizing anything any more. That time is well and truly past. The phrase don’t lick that!! is often heard and then followed by the mandatory accompanying sigh as she proceeds to lick whatever it is we’d prefer she didn’t. Because, as everyone knows, you can’t stop a baby from doing anything if they’re determined to do it.

But as always, she’s utterly charming. She’s just too adorable. It’s amazing to watch her discover the world. Sometimes she will sit at our living room sliding door and stare outside. When she does that I often wonder what she’s thinking. Then she’ll lick the door and I stop wondering. I didn’t know having a baby would be like this. It’s hard work, it’s infuriating, it’s monotonous but then there are these moments that beyond words. There is such joy. Like the moment she crawled for the first time. I was so worried we’d miss seeing that because she goes to childcare now. But nope, she saved it up and did it here.

Next week is my last official week of maternity leave. I’ve extended it for a bit longer by taking some annual leave so my return date is March 30. It feels so strange think that I have to go back to work. I can’t quite get my head around the fact that it’s been a year – a year!! – since I was at work. It feels like it’s been ages but it also feels like it’s gone by so fast. The past 51 weeks have been the most difficult and rewarding of my life. Life is so utterly different now. I’m not sure how much I’ve changed but I guess I have. I don’t think you could have a baby and not be different. If nothing else, Juno has taught me patience and once again reminded that it’s okay to let that which does not matter, slide. That’s something I had forgotten but now I try to not worry about the things that really aren’t important and to focus my energy to where it’s best spent – on my family.

That’s it, I’m outta here!!!

Nine months in and now nine months out in the world.

My little newborn is long gone and a small, chatty person has appeared in her place. Juno is actually a bit of a handful these days. Still working on the crawling thing but today mastered sitting up unassisted. So now we have to drop the cot because if she’s worked that one out, standing up probably isn’t that far away. Not that her lack of crawling is stopping her from getting about. It’s not a normal day if she doesn’t trap herself under the dining table because she’s rolled under it and gotten caught in the chair legs. Then she shouts until someone gets her out. But five minutes later…

Speaking of that, Juno has been decidedly shouty the last couple of days so that’s back with a vengeance. And to be honest, I’m really over it. She can be loud – really loud – when she wants to be which becomes grating uber quickly.

And there’s even more teeth coming through! Another one of her front bottom teeth is already peeping through after all four of her top front teeth popped out only a few weeks ago. Its mate is probably not that far behind. I thought there was meant to be a bit more a gap but Juno is definitely cutting her teeth to her own schedule. However, it does explain the insane amount of drool.

She started childcare on January 13. And she already has a mild cold – mostly just a cough but you can hear that her breathing is a bit clogged up when she’s asleep. Sigh. But I live in hope that she’ll get all the illnesses out of the way early and that this is toughing up her immune system. I’m not going back to work until the end of March so we’re having a long transition to her attending three days a week. She’s going for a few hours at time on the days she goes and I’ve only left her there on her own twice so far. On the upside, she seems to really like it though. She gets very excited once we’re near the baby room. It’s the toys I think. After all, she’s too little to even think about interacting with the other babies.

There’s one baby who’s a few weeks older than Juno and she’s been attending the centre full time since she was three months old. Makes me sad that her mum (or dad for that matter) had such a short period at home with her. I appreciate not having to rush back to work and that I’ve been able to spend this time at home with Juno. It hasn’t always been a happy happy joy joy experience (funny how none of the “experts” ever mention how much early parenting is a groundhog day experience) but at least I’ve had the choice. So many parents don’t get that.

Juno not really looking like Juno. And no, I did not put make-up on her!

This is more like it.

I can hear her thinking God, mum!! No more!!! Enough already!

How time marches on.

This time last year I was 23 weeks pregnant. These days I have a very active baby on my hands who is currently trying to work out how to crawl. She can get up onto all fours but then is at a loss as what to do next. She kinda scoots backwards and can actually get a fair way. But it’s not like she needs to crawl, she gets around just fine by rolling.

She also has six teeth now. Her top four front teeth all came through in the space of a few days. That was some fun times (not). But maybe now she’ll be more interested in feeding herself rather than getting all her food spoon-delivered. She seems to be getting the idea of chewing down pretty quickly.

She’s talking a lot too. We’re getting plenty of baby babbling, lots of da da da da, ba ba ba ba, na na na na, mmm mmm mmm mmm, wa wa wa wa noises. The shouting stopped as quickly as it started which was good but she still loves blowing raspberries.

Scarily enough, she starting child care next month. I’m not going back to work until the end of March so we’re doing a long transition and easing her into it rather than suddenly dropping her in there for eight hours a day, three days a week. I would’ve preferred a later start but this is the only way I could get her into the centre I wanted. Not sure how I feel about it to be honest. I’m kinda looking forward to having some time to myself before going back to work but I look at her and think she’s so little!! It’s too soon. She’ll probably be fine, I’ll be the one who’s a mess.

And we’re so done at this point. I’m such a mean mummy.

Seven months!

I know, I know, I say how surprised I am at how quickly time is passing every single time I do one of these post. But it really is shocking how quickly the time goes by.

Juno has changed a lot, especially in the last three months. She’s lost all of her newborn characteristics and is most definitely a growing girl.

Sometimes I worry because physically she’s not doing as much as the other babies around her age. She’s not sitting unassisted yet and seems really reluctant to stand as well. When we try that, her knees just buckle under her. She’s only just mastered rolling. But I think she’d be able to do it for awhile, she just wasn’t interested.

She did give me a heart attack last week. I put her down in her cot but left the side down and quickly went into the bathroom to shut the window. I came back to find Juno with one leg and arm over the side. Her head was up and she definitely looked like she was about to lever herself out. So, no more leaving her in the cot with side down…

Mentally she seems really together. I’ve watched her work out her dummy is next to head where she can’t see it, reach around for it and get it back in her mouth. She also talks – a lot. The shouting has just started in the last few days (and is already annoying so I’m hoping she’ll grow out of that habit soon). And then there’s the fake coughing. I also kinda regret teaching her how to blow raspberries but it’s just so cute when she does it.

It’s amazing how quickly she’s learning and changing.

And we’re done.

What a wild ride it’s been. It feels like it was only yesterday I was still pregnant, feeling enormous and very over it. Then suddenly she was in the world and I had to learn how to care for this small and utterly dependent person.

The change into being someone’s mum has been challenging and not without its difficulties. There’s no way to be prepared for what’s going to happen. You could read every book in the world about child birth and having a baby but nothing can prepare for actually living with a small baby. It was a shock to say the least. To say that I felt overwhelmed would be an understatement.

Even now some days can be a bit of a struggle. Juno is a pretty relaxed baby so when she’s fussy and/or unsettled I find it… difficult. I’m doing the best I can and I guess that’s what matters (but when you’re in the moment it can be really hard to remember that). She can be a real challenge when she wants to be but it usually only a passing thing. After a good sleep, she goes back to being her normal, chipper self.

I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

Really? As they say the days are long but the years are short. We’re not up to years yet but the months are flying by.

Oops.

Nnnnnooooooooooo!! Not more photos mum!!!

Maybe if I hide under here, mum won’t find me and that’ll be the end to the photos.