The Perfect Saturday

I don’t want to speak to soon, but I think Sophie digs her new bed!

She slept well overnight in her new cot and today she’s been the perfect little angel. We were both a little hesitant about the big transfer, but if today was anything to go by, we should have done it weeks ago.

It was a stunning day again today so the three of us decided to go for a long walk. Normally Sophie gets quite agitated after an hour or so in her stroller, but today, we stayed out for close to 3 hours! We ended up going to a park down the road and the Mall. While we were there Sophie gave every person that walked by some of the biggest, gummiest grins I’ve seen yet! When we got home she went to sleep without a hitch (which is pretty unusual during the later stages of the day). Afterwards Ingrid went off to do a class at the gym, so I decided to take Sophie out for another long walk to the supermarket to get some dinner and unbvelievably Sophie slept most of the way there and back! (This is even more unusual at this time - 4pm-6pm)

Look I don't touch the ends of the bed anymore!

Sophie's abstract cot pose

Look closely...Sophie know's where she comes from

Ingrid got home just in time for Sophie’s bath time and then we put her to bed…again, no silly games or crying, just straight off to sleep. (you little beauty)

Tomorrow should be another stunner too in Auckland, so we’re off to Mission bay for lunch and a big long stroll along the walkway there. I just hope I haven’t jinxed things now by saying how good the cot is!

Brad

Cot Time!

I spent a bit of time tonight looking through some old photo’s of Sophie. Crazy that it’s not even 5 months yet it feels like she’s been here forever. It’s insane how much she has grown too.

Tonight is the first night she will spend sleeping in her brand new cot, we’ve laid her in the cot a couple of times just to see how she like it and man, she looks so tiny! In saying that, Sophie has completely outgrown her bassinet now, the poor thing can only just fit in it! (I must also take this time to say thanks to Mike, [Ingrid’s’ Father] for kindly assembling the Cot earlier this week…I was secretly dreading having to put it together, so it was a nice surprise to come home from work to find that he’d done it already! (At least now I won’t shit myself and think it will collapse in the middle of the night).

Sophie's last night in her bassinet - almost 5 months old

Sophie around 5 weeks old

We gave Sophie another go on solids tonight but she didn’t really want a bar of it. It’s highly amusing though, watching her different facial expressions as the spoon goes in her mouth, but mostly she just stares at you with a curious look on her face and a mouthful of rice - then she slowly lets it ooze out all over her face without moving a single muscle on her face…Ingrid and I felt a bit stink, because we kept pissing ourselves laughing!

Brad

Why daddy's aren't allowed to buy baby clothes!

Brad

Out togther as a couple!

A late post I know, but it’s been pretty full on for the last couple of days and have only just found some time to update. Well what an exciting couple of days we have had. Firstly, Brad and I had tickets to see INXS play in Auckland with new frontman JD Fortune o n Sunday night, so my brother (Steve) and his lovely girlfriend Maria (from Boston) came around to babysit for us.

I was a bit apprehensive to begin with as it was our first night out together away from Sophie and the first time ever we have had a babysitter! But of course she was a perfect angel and wasn’t even aware we had gone out! And funnily enough, although it felt funny to be without her, it also felt a little bit like old days and it was nice to be a ‘couple’ again. Unfortunately, and I hate to moan about things, but the concert was a bit of a disappointment, there just wasn’t any oomph to it, almost like they were all bored, tired or hungover (probably all three) and JD seemed to be a little off his face. Anyway, we left halfway through and tried to find somewhere to have a coffee – but Sunday nights are pretty subdued in the city.

On Monday my mum, Nicki, arrived (more on that later), so we made the most of having family around and Brad and I went out for a lovely dinner together while mum babysat – gosh, two nights in a row, who would have thought that I could leave my baby! But it was easier than I thought as I knew she was in good hands both nights and that she would probably sleep anyway and that we were only a phone call away.

Now, as mentioned, mum has been staying with us for the last couple of days and my dad (Mike) and stepmum (Carol) are also in Auckland. The reason my whole family is here is because my brother (Steve), had his graduation from University today so they all came up to see him get his papers. Unfortunately I couldn’t go along to the parade and capping as Brad couldn’t babysit due to being at a conference all day, but I just have to say how very proud of my big brother I am for scoring top marks in all his exams and getting an awesome score overall! I think he got ALL the brains in the family and am pleased that he is putting them to good use. Well done bro.

Ingrid

Sophie Standing

The Week That Was

It’s been a bit of a busy week so apologies for not updating this thing.

Firstly it was great to catch up with my sister Nicky in the weekend. I didn’t realize that the poor thing hadn’t even given Sophie a cuddle until then!...Sophie was glad to finally meet her Auntie properly too.

Sophie continues to grow and change daily, she still has the odd day of not wanting to sleep or else waking us in the middle of the night (well Ingrid actually, I never hear her! …it must be that motherly instinct kicking in at the slightest sound) but generally she’s a happy wee thing. Lots of smiles and giggles mixed in with the cutest baby noises.

The Baby Circle..10 points if you find Sophie

I had to go out Wednesday night for a work function and didn’t get home till late (or early the day as Ingrid likes to put it) – then I got up early for work the next day, so I missed out on seeing her for over a day and half!…it sounds cheesy, but it felt like I hadn’t seen her for days!When I got home the following night though, Sophie greeted me with some HUGE gummy grins and giggles...so no matter how shit of a day you've had, you sure forget about it pretty quickly with a welcome like that.

This Sunday will be interesting, we’re off to see INXS play and it’ll be the first time we’ve been out together as a couple. Steve, (Ingrid’s brother) is coming around to baby-sit and I think her Dad and Carol (up from the Hawkes Bay) are popping in too. So Sophie will be in great hands while we're out….but I bet you, Ingrid will still be on tender hooks for the whole night though!

Brad

Sophie and Aunty Nic

Sophie's new Rockstar jeans!

I finally made it to Auckland to meet Sophie (oh and to see Brad and Ingrid as well). When I knocked on the front door, I was greeted with the gummiest grin ever!!! What a memorable moment.

Brad and I were browsing in a bookstore yesterday and I found a box set of books written by Dick King-Smith called "Sophies Stories" - so proud Aunty had to buy them for Sophie. Although it will be a few years before she can read them.

Well its back to the Naki tomorrow and am going to miss the smiles and cuddles with little Sophie Joan until the next time....

Aunty Nic

Auntie Nicki Comes to Stay

Our first cuddle together...only took 4 1/2 months!

Sophie playing Peek-a-boo with all her mates

Sopt the smiling poser baby...

Is it time for solids?

Its been a mixed bag with Sophie for the past few days, some times she will go to bed and just cry for about five minutes to get off to sleep and other times its world war four!

Monday night was probably the worst night – I had a parent’s centre class that I signed up for to get ideas for playtime etc, so Brad was left holding the baby so to speak…and what a terrible time he had, Sophie had gotten very overtired and wouldn’t/couldn’t go to sleep. In the end it took her about two hours with Brad rocking her bassinet for her to drift off. She also has a new cry which she obviously wants to try out and of course because it’s new I went running, I guess she likes it now and tries it on at every sleep time.

Then last night after her 10.30pm feed, she woke up at 2.30am and grizzled for half an hour and then turned up the volume just after 3am, I went in and rocked her for half an hour before she fell back asleep and just as I had jumped back into bed and gotten comfortable and drifting off, she started up again, so the only thing I could do was to feed her, which she was very happy about! Unfortunately she thought she would take the opportunity and have a play, but there was no way I was having that, so back to bed she went and I let her cry it out for about 15 minutes before she fell back asleep. It was about 4am by this stage and do you think I could get back to sleep! And then to top it all off she woke up at 6.45am for another feed.

So the question to all the mums out there who read this – do you think it might be time for solids? She seems to be showing most of the signs and is 4 and a half months old, but all the books say she should be drinking about 900ml of milk and she doesn’t – she’s only drinking about 700-800ml, so I am wondering if maybe she is hungry because she isn’t drinking enough milk or if she isn’t drinking enough milk because she needs more sustenance…

I have to thank Brad so much for getting up this morning at 7am and staying home to feed Sophie while I lay comatose in bed – cheers bubs, was much appreciated xx.

Ingrid

My turn!

I know you’re thinking I’m far too young to use this webby thing...but daddy has this cool programme installed on the computer that can change all my baby noises into real words…freaky aye.

Firstly I have to say, I read what they put on MY blog last weekend about wanting to stop my late night feed…yeah right. Mummy and daddy tried to fool me good. They were waking me up a half an hour earlier each night, hoping I wouldn’t notice and would eventually just have the one feed at dinner time. But I had read all about their cunning plan …so I decided to show them…

Now, I’m waking up at 5am in the morning. I wake them up and then I go back to sleep 20 minutes later!…check out the best part though…I’m not even hungry or need feeding!!! (insert an evil baby laugh here) I just wanted to show them who’s boss round here.
It’s worked too, because they are feeding me again at 10:30pm each night….that’ll learn them.

Mummy dropped me off at dads work today for a while. That was pretty cool, but everyone there wanted to pick me up and make silly baby noises at me …a couple of people said I was a ‘ginga’ or something like that too…I think their eyes need to get tested properly…my hair is a nice shade of strawberry blonde…really!

Anyway, I’m only a baby and therefore have a short attention span, so I have enough of this …I’m off to have some real fun and blow lots of spit bubbles for the next 20 minutes and wait for daddy to come home so I can sick up all over his shirt…(insert another evil baby laugh)

See ya!

Sophiexx

Sophie chilling out in her play-ring

The Rest of the Week

Wednesday

Sophie and I have had quite a nice week this week, she’s been pretty good with her sleeping after a bit of a shocker last week which has allowed me to catch up on things that need to be done and having a bit of ‘me’ time during the day! Its been four months now since she was born and I thought it was about time I popped back into my old work to show her off and have a chat with everyone. It felt kind of strange walking back through the doors, almost like I had never left – everything is pretty much exactly the same! Quite freaky really that my life has changed so dramatically and theirs are all exactly the same. Anyway was nice to catch up with everyone and Sophie was very well behaved if not a little shell shocked with all the new faces.

Thursday:

Was usual coffee group day, was good to catch up with everyone again and as our babies all get bigger and more awake it was good to see every baby awake at the same time and funny how the babies make faces and smile at the adults but are oblivious to the other babies around even though they love to look at themselves in a mirror (or at least Sophie does).

Today being Friday, I caught up with my other coffee group girls (the ones I meet through the hospital exercise classes), only stayed a short time as Sophie had got a little overtired and I could only get her to sleep in her car seat for half an hour and she needed a lot more than that, so we came home and she was so tired I had to wake her up for her 3pm feed, after which we went for a big long walk around Glenfield in the beautiful afternoon sunshine – was such a lovely day.

Ingrid

Sophie Wants More Hair!

Sophie has a new game – pulling hair and no letting go! – (I think she’s a bit jealous to be fair because she has bugger all herself...)

Yesterday, she did her very first ‘roll over by herself’ trick (and I bloody missed it) but Ingrid said she scrunched her legs up and simply rolled over onto her stomach, sweet as…she’s a clever little rascal..
Sophie had been going through a stage (5-6 days), where she wouldn’t sleep at all during the day, although the last couple of days (touch wood) she’s been really good. Ingrid and I are thinking about knocking the 10:30PM feed on the head this weekend too. It might take a few days (or weeks) to get her into the routine, but it’s becoming increasingly harder to wake the poor thing each night for the final feed, so maybe she just doesn’t need it anymore. Fingers crossed aye.

Brad

Auckland Night's

Look what a cool computer programme can do to the night sky...sweet as!

ps. Sophie doing well today too, although Ingrid had to take her for a huge walk this arvo to get her to sleep... I came home from work and there ws no one here! - Then the two girls came back home around 6:15pm and Sophie had her big gummy grin face on after their huge walk...very cute.

Brad

Fathers Day

I had my first Fathers day today.

Sophie gave me a lovely big card (below) and a package filled with lots of goodies. I gotta say though, she’s a cheeky we one and definitely takes after her mother. The package contained some hair dye for my so called ‘grey hair’, some nose clippers for my apparent ‘scary nose hairs’ and some blokes moisturizer for all my ‘wrinkles!...there was even a little bottle of red wine in there with a note from her saying I must like the stuff lots cause my teeth are always red when I get her up for her late feed…

The three of us went out for lunch afterwards which was really nice. Sophie didn’t want to sleep much in her stroller while we were out, so I had her out within seconds. She was sitting at the table on my knee for quite a while, giving everyone that walked past some great big gummy smiles, that was pretty cool and everyone who walked passed us at the café all commented on how cute and adorable she was….and they’re right.

Below the family chilling out at lunch on Fathers Day.

Brad

Happy Sophie

She's not sleeping a hell of a lot, but she doesn't seem to mind.

Little Sophie

Here is Sophie lapping up the camera again.

I haven’t seen a lot of the little one during the last week or two, work has been pretty full-on with ratings starting tomorrow and we're down a couple of staff members at the moment which bites a bit.

I seem to be always getting home just after Sophie has bathed and gone back down to bed too recentley, although, I do get the late night feed still, which is great, but most-times it’s like waking sleeping beauty!...she's up for around 20 minutes max and during that time, she can hardly keep her eyes open ..mind you she does manage to squeeze out a cheeky smile or two between yawns which keeps me pretty happy.

I’ve gotta spend a bit of time at work this weekend, so I might just have to kidnap her and take her along to work with me so I get to see more of her!

I’m a little bit excited too, because I get to experience my very first Fathers Day on Sunday, you beauty.

Brad