EV is preferring bought baby food to mum's cooking

We travelled down to London today to stay with friends for the weekend. So, instead of cooking EV good wolesome home cooked food I bought her some ready made stuff from the supermarket, to save on microwaving, washing, cooking, blending and sterillising during our weekend away.

EV put away twice as much of the bought baby food as she usually eats. I guess that says something about my cooking?? (It was yummy though, I tried it: Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Prunes from Ella's Kitchen)

EV is an underwater predator

EV had a fab time at swimming today, swimming on her front and even closing her eyes for the first time in response to the cue for going under water. When we got home, I have a bath with EV and she bottom-shuffled all over the bottom of the bath chasing her bath toy (a walrus who blows bubbles!) I was amazed. Obviously she is more boiant under water and the reduced friction on the base of the bath meant she could get around far more easily than she would be able to on dry land. Bath toys everywhere BEWARE! EV is out to get you!

EV is moving into her own room

Tonight's the night. Hope it means more sleep for everyone involved! I'll let you know.

EV is full of hugs and kisses

Hugs for mummy, hugs for daddy and kisses for mummy too.

When her dad comes home from work EV greets him with a big smile and, if I am carrying her, she reaches out her arms to her dad. Likewise, if she is sat with someone else, she will sometimes reach out with her body and arms towards me.

EV also wraps her arms round her favourite cuddly toy, Raf-raf and even plants me with wet kisses on the cheek (without sucking at it now!)

EV is learning to sign

Our latest class endevour is baby signing (so easy to miss-type/miss read). An hour of singing with other mums and babies, accompanied by Sign Language insted of actions. I struggled to remember more than 2 or 3 of the signs we did today - a sure sign that my baby-braincloud hasn't subsided just yet. It's good fun for EV though, free, lots of other mums and babies, regular, familiar songs and a few useful signs she might want to use later (e.g. more, nappy, teddy).

As EV gets a bit older, she is much happier in the day if we go out somewhere. I think it's partly the novelty and the other people but also, she has my full attention when we're out as I'm not constantly spotting jobs I need to "nip" and do around the house.

EV is a barfly

After telling you how serious EV can be the other day, I may have to retract that comment. Today we went to the pub to watch the footie and EV was a regular socialite. Smiles for everyone who said hello, almost no crying and even, in spite of much cheering and goal scoring, an obliging nap. I have only one conclusion: EV is obviously at home in a bar.

And to prove my point, she had one more party trick up her sleeve... She was after our drinks! A few determined but clumsy swipes at a pint glass, fitting of a rather worse for ware pub regular, sent it toppling over, taking a couple of nearby bottles with it. All of which EV found occasion to grin broadly at.

Now I know why they don't allow children in a lot of pubs!

EV is part of the e-generation

I could have already told you that, given she has her own blog and all. But today EV showed the precocious interest in and understanding of technology typical of "the kids today."

We speak to EV's grandparents on the web cam every couple of weeks so they can see her face to face, being overseas. Today EV watched the screen delightedly (even more so than simple telly) and showed a particular interest in the camera. She reached out for it, held it and, inevitably, attempted a suck or two. I'd say she is definitely getting to(o literal) grips with technology.

EV is super serious

EV doesn't hand her smiles out to just anyone, you really have to earn them. I'm starting to think EV isn't as smiley as a lot of other babies I meet. Instead, she has a pensive, thoughtful, serious (baffled??) look on her face most of the time. She has even been known to cast the odd dirty look at those whose coos and pleas for smiles are obviously futile.

That said, it does depend what sort of mood she is in and whether she wants your attention or not. For a while I wondered if her lack of vacant smiles might be a sign that EV might be studious and deep. Now, however, I realise it could just be a sign that she might be a stroppy madam!

EV is boucing

I bought a big birthing/aerobics/pilates ball, one of those inflatable 75cm diameter things, when I was pregnant. It is supposed to be good for back ache, pelvic pain and getting the baby head down. Well we have found a new use for it. EV loves to sit on someone's knee whilst they bounce up and down on the ball. It goes without saying that Dad is more fun than me because he bounces her higher and isn't a protective scaredy cat like me!

EV is sucking her toes

A baby milestone, surely? Couldn't manage to get her to repeat the trick for the benefit of my camera but surely there'll be plenty of opportunities for that now that she's mastered the trick.

I just hope she doesn't try the nappy dipping variation my mother-in-law has warned me about. Eww.

EV is a baby pteradactyl

All day long EV has been deafening me with her new noise. It's not a cry, she makes it when she is playing quite happily, presumably she's testing out how loud she can make her voice. It is a long, loud, high pitched screech, something like - AAeeerrreee!

Half territorial tom cat, half baby dinosaur (I imagine). EV definitely conjours up the flying dinosaur image the most as the squawking is often accompanied by frenzied (and delighted??) arm flapping.

EV is wearing camouflage

EV has khaki war paint streaked across her brow and cheek bones. She even has some in her hair for good measure. She looks like an extra from Apocolypse now.

And, no, we're not indoctirnating her into the armed forces at an early age. It is in fact dinner. It is amazing what a convincing camouflage paint colour/texture combination you can get from sweet potato blended with brocoli and red pepper. Forget Annabel Karmel, I should write a book of "recipes" that double up as "organic all natural" face paints, I'd be a baby food legend.

EV is winning me over

with the little noise she makes when she stares up at me, all wide eyed, and smiles. It's sort of a "hhheh" Awwwww.

EV is recovering from having pooed in the bath

Nice.

(Actually she wasn't in the least bit bothered about it. Just me then?)

EV is sitting unsupported

What a clever girl!

EV is staying in a creche

EV stayed at creche today, first time away from family during the day, for an hour whilst I did "Salsacise"! It was quite good actually and, surprisingly, I didn't think or worry about her at all whilst I was there. Mind you, I was in the same building (the local school) and the I've met the lady running the creche quite a few times. All went well, no tears from EV, in fact she was asleep when I went to pick her up.

EV is spinning around

I think the end of being able to put EV down somewhere and expect her to be in the same place when I return is nigh. I put her down in her cot this morning whilst I did some quick jobs and I was very glad I chose somewhere secure to put her because, when I looked round, she had rotated herself through 90 degrees and was lying with her legs poking out between the bars of the cot!

EV is tiring me out

So tired. I thought she was supposed to sleep for longer once she started weaning??

Actually, I don't think she was hungry most of the times she woke last night, just struggling with her teeth. I wish they would get on with it and come out!

After waking up 4 (or was it 5?) times through last night, EV ended up slepping in our bed at 5 this morning. Is it the start of a slippery slope?

EV is throwing her teddy out of the pram

A bit of poetic liscense here since EV doesn't have a pram, or indeed a teddy. She has, however, worked out how to let go of/ drop/ throw things. Of course, she immediately wants them returned. And returned again. And returned again.

EV is holding up

EV helps me change her nappy by holding onto her feet whenever I put her down on her changing table now. She has got quite a good grip on them and loves waving them around, making her bottom one less thing for me to have to juggle when cleaning up.

Speaking of cleaning up....! That's becoming a bit more interesting now EV has started weaning. It's not as smelly as I dreaded it might be but definitely a whole lot stickier! The flushable liners have really come into their own.

EV is happy

Had a lovely, calm and happy day with EV today. She seems much less agitated than she has been over the past couple of weeks. It might be because she is less hungry (having started having 2 meals a day today!) or just falling back into the predicatbility of her normal routine. I think she is starting to understand what to expect in certain situations (e.g. getting her nappy changed when she goes in the bathroom, going out somewhere when she's put in her car seat) and to communicate a little what she wants (hungry, bored, tired, sore etc.)
All in all she's had a lovely day, long may they continue.

EV is the big girl in class

EV was back at her swimming classes today, after the Christmas break. Last term EV was easily the tiniest baby in the class, having started at 5 weeks old halfway through the last term. Now most of the babies from the last class have moved up to the 6 month plus group and EV is one of the big ones! There was even a tiny 5 week old baby there - I can't believe EV was that small when she started. The little baby just wanted to sleep and feed and cuddle mum the whole class through.

Meanwhile, EV is now into swimming (floating to be precise) on her front. The instructor, who is wonderful, said she couldn't believe EV was wanting to float on her front already, she has to stay little a while longer!

EV is singing

EV loves bedtime these days. She smiles up at me as I put her into her cot as if to say, "Thanks, Mum, I've been waiting for this all day."

She has a bedtime routine: change nappy and into bedtime clothes, brush her gums, feed in the bedroom with just a lamp on so it's dark, into bed and a few nursery rhymes before I switch the lamp off and kiss her good night.

Over the last few nights, EV has started "joining in" with her bedtime rhymes, chattering along tunefully as I sing. She stops when I stop and joins in most wholeheartedly with the rhymes I sing most often. I know parents often imbue their children with abilities they can't really have but I'm convinced EV recognises the songs (she's heard Baa Baa black sheep and Rock-a-bye baby practically every night since she was born) and thinks she is singing along. It is amazingly cute.

EV is catching up

Sorry for the lack of posts, settling back into the New Year Routine has been tough (for me not EV!) Not to worryt though because I'm sure that, unless you are a baby food fiend - I'm let to believe that such oddballs do exsist - you would probably have been bored to death with the last 5 days of blogging, which, I imagine, would have looked something like this...

2nd Jan: EV is weaning!
Got the green light from the health visitor (are all mothers scared of health visitors or is it just me?) to begin weaning EV. She was ravenous over xmas and the New Year and her weight gain is slowing down. I am very excited about weaning and have already spent several hours day dreaming about which foods I am going to give her first and what exciting pairings I can think of. Yes, I am aware of how sad that sounds, thank you.
Disappointing then that the first exciting meal is... Potato! Wooo! Potato! Okay, so not as exciting as I had fantasised it might be. Barely two minuscule spoon fulls made it past EV's lips but she did enjoy the experience of having her mum and dad fuss over her and make her smile whilst getting to sit in her new high chair. We also got some lovely "first food" photos, in which she looks like she is actually eating.

3rd Jan: EV is having carrot and potato
Some mild success. EV finds it much easier to eat off my finger than the spoon so I tried alternating the two. This meant that she got to eat some of the food and start getting used to the idea of having a spoon in her mouth.

4th Jan: EV is having sweet potato
Bring on the root vegetables! She sucks her thumb between mouth fulls. Not sure if this is to stop me being able to force feed her and give herself a rest between mouth fulls or if sucking makes it easier to swallow, that being what she is used to after all?

5th Jan: EV is having parsnip
Not so much of a parsnip fan :-(

6th Jan: EV is having carrot and potato (again)
Success! Loved it. Got the hang of the spoon. Finished the lot. Even leant forward and opened her mouth obligingly. Tomorrow: Fruit!

EV is talking to baby V3

EV:V3.

Get it?

In the mirror I mean. She is quite interested in touching and talking to that strange mirror baby who is always getting carried around by her mummy and her daddy. She has no idea that it is herself, of course. But V3 can do all sorts of interesting things, like blow raspberries at her and smile.