Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Back from Italy, 20 weeks old, Tracy Hogg

We are back! Flying with the children is fine, so much so that I'm going to go solo with them in December when I'll be off work! And that flight will actually be 2 as I have to go through Hamburg...let's hope for the best.

Our time in Italy was great, Oliver slept with no problems thankfully which made his mood and overall enjoyment of the weather superb.

Clarissa, Oliver and Martina

Martina on the other hand...does not sleep through the night at all, wakes generally between 11.30 and 1 am, then again around 4 and then at 6...not good. At least I now have her in bed by 8.30-9.00 consistently which is something. During the day she can somewhat successfully fall asleep in the stroller (morning and lunchtime) but she cries. I can count on one hand the times that she just fell asleep on her own without crying. It's hard. I'm resisting latching her on during the day for naps (but still do at night time) or we'll never come out of that and I'm going back to work in 6 short weeks...She still cat-naps but I'm working on it, mostly because I know she is not well rested after only 40 minutes.
An update on the tongue-tie. My friend the surgeon doesn't think she has it at all, and when in Italy my parents insisted we brought the children to a peady there (you know...the best in the city, yadayadayada) as Martina was still coughing and my dad was convinced Oliver's knees were converging too much. I want to add that I believed Oliver's legs were physiological and that Martina's chest was clear as we had them both already checked out. Just in case you think we are careless parents too.... Of course we were told by the super paedy exaclty the same things we knew already and he confirmed too that Martina has no tongue tie that can affect bfeeding. In the last few days I have started feeding her again without the shields but being consistent with putting on the lanolin and so far so good. She has also started solids very slowly at lunch time which means we skip a feed and all seems to be going well. She is 20 weeks old today and she is rolling over (back to front and occasionally the other way around too), weighed in at 6.2kg at 19 weeks and is 63 cm long. Very sturdy, I can believe she is "only" 20 weeks old and she looks about 6 month old for alertness and interaction.

 At the table with papà last night

"Reading" a soft book in her bouncer this morning

As of yesterday I have started applying the Tracy Hogg method for Martina's daytime naps...so far Martina is winning...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome home! Good luck with the day time naps! Kade used to be a cat napper in the day time as well which used to drive me nuts.

She is so cute!

xx

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you had such a good time in Italy!! Martina is such a cutie, and clearly very smart like her mama!!

Valery said...

It took me a while to believe, but Suzy cries loudest when she wants to fall asleep. If I leave her it will only take her a few minutes, if I try to calm her by stroking it just gives her more stimuli and makes more drama. So in our house a bit of crying is normal before sleep. And we're lucky that most naps are 1,5 hours. Getting rid of night feeding is harder, last night even two feeds ar 3am AND 5am.

Valery said...

oh, and I forgot to add: is it just me or do Martina and Clarissa look alike?!
Love the pictures!
And I guess your parents have their own way of caring with their super paedy, just wish they wouldn't imply you are careless.
hugs

Anonymous said...

I'm glad your own conclusions were proven right! Look at those children...they are big and healthy and are always smiling like the happiest children on earth! They travel well, they eat well... You are doing an AMAZING job. And btw, Mac is a year old and wakes up at night, crying for his pacifier. I jump out of bed 4 or 5 times a night to search it out in his crib and put it back in his mouth. Scout did the same thing so I remind myself that one day, Mac WILL sleep through the night. Hugs to you.