Three times around Baby Led Weaning. Why, How, When!

'What's all this fuss about BLW?'

I remember reading some obscure article about Baby Led Weaning (BLW) back when I was pregnant with Lily. Way back when, in early 2008! Back then it was pretty much unheard of and rather 'radical/weird'... but something about the theory of it just clicked with me straight away. I mentally filed it away for 'when the time came' and I am so glad I did! I love that it's now gotten so popular and common it's just regarded as another valid option for introducing solids.

I get asked quite a bit about our experience with BLW, especially now I have gone through it with three kids, so I thought I would collate my thoughts and experiences into one long-winded handy post. Plus, it will be nice to have a collection of thoughts and images for me to look back on too. So here 'tis.... (warning.... it will be looooong!).

After reading the aforementioned article, I bought the book Baby Led Weaning by Gil Rapley as I wanted to fully understand the concept and theory before launching in. I am so glad I bought it, although it was very expensive back then and my dear husband did enquire whether the pages were lined with gold (sadly, no! haha). But it is a fantastic book explaining not only the theory and principles behind BLW but also includes lots of practical information. So if you are reading this, and interested in doing Baby Led Weaning with your little one, I highly recommend you get hold of this book! If you are anything like me, you want to really understand the 'why' of the method to commit to it fully. It really is about much more than just giving 'finger food' instead of purees.

Hooray for an excuse to post baby pics of Lily :) Here she is at 6 months, trying solids for the very first time!
Seriously, I could eat her right up. Nom, nom, nom.

I should add in a little disclaimer that I do not think BLW is the ONLY/RIGHT/SUPERIOR way to feed your baby! You can feed your little beloved however and whenever you feel is best :) This is a parents' prerogative :) This post is just what it's about, why it was right for us and how we decided to go about it. Just wanted to make that clear! 

Yes, two hands, Mama!

What IS BLW anyway??!

Baby Led Weaning is an approach to introducing solids to babies. The idea is basically that you trust the baby to feed themselves what they are ready to eat. You present food options to them, but let them work out how to pick it up, how to eat it, and how much to eat. It is starting off solids with only finger foods, no purees. 

I might add that doing a combo of purees and finger foods is a great way to have 'the best of both worlds' if you want to go that way (and many do!), but that would not really be called Baby Led Weaning. BLW is a whole philosophy and approach that means avoiding purees altogether for various reasons. Combining the two is an early introduction of finger foods.Call me a pedant, but I just had to clarify that :) 

While I am getting my 2 cents in, I will also say the name BLW is rather unfortunate and misleading as many think it has something to do with letting baby decide when to stop breastfeeding. But it was named in Britain where 'weaning' alludes more to introducing solids, rather than 'cutting down/stopping breastfeeding' as it's usually thought of in Australia and the USA. As a PR gal, I cringe at the misleading name and would much rather it was called Baby Led Solids or Baby Self Feeding but alas, the name has stuck and so we gotta roll with it :)

Little Lily making a mess!

Why we do BLW

The theory behind BLW just made sense to me. When starting solids at six months, (as is still currently recommended by AAP, ABA and WHO, etc), a baby is developmentally able to pick up, hold and chew their own foods. Purees were really developed for much younger babies (4 months or even younger!) so why bother 'going backwards' to purees if starting at six months?

After thankfully being able to exclusively breastfeed (EBF) all three of my babies, I also liked the way BLW continued that relationship - just as with breastfeeding, you don't force, control or even really know exactly what they are getting! You just present the food/milk at the times you think best and trust/let them decide how much they need. Which also aligns with my general family food philosophy of 'listening to your body' (but  that's yet another post!!). I know there are circumstances with both solids and milk feeds where things have to be watched more closely or done differently, but I am talking about in a generally healthy, happy, weight-gaining baby.

I love how it introduces real food, makes the child part of the family meal and keeps it simple (no stress preparing and spooning in purees etc). Other benefits of BLW can be reducing food allergies, a wide and varied diet, increased fine motor skills, and a healthy food relationship. It just suits our family so well for all these reasons and more.

Ahh, the nose scrunch face I remember so well :)

When we do BLW

I have always started exactly at six months on the dot. It doesn't have to be so precise - we just never felt like they needed to start earlier and it was a nice way to celebrate/mark that six month milestone by setting up the highchair and inviting bub to be part of meal time!

I do think there is some wiggle room of a couple weeks or so on either side of this date. It's a guideline but use your own judgement. I wouldn't start too much earlier than six months though, personally. Hand/mouth coordination will build quickly through practise so don't worry if your baby doesn't seem able to pick things up so confidently yet! I should add that there is no need to start much earlier just because your baby is staring in wonder at your food or even trying to grab it. That is a natural reaction to you (amazing you) interacting with basically any object! I guarantee if you were juggling knives or waving around burning matches they would also be fascinated and want to take part ;)

Eli delves into corn on the cob, on one of his first eating ventures at 6 months (right after we moved into our house - excuse the crazy mess behind!)

HOW we do BLW

First of all - the set up. Yes, it gets gloriously messy, so you want to have a good set up to minimise that! Our winning combo, streamlined after three kids is thus:

• Ikea highchair. Cheap, easy to clean, simple to set up. It's a winner!
• Ikea highchair insert. A padded rectangular piece that inserts into chair seat and 'fills the gaps' for little babies. This is fantastic for little ones as it keeps them steady in the chair and has the added bonus of stopping them being able to drop so much food down their front or sides! We throw ours in the wash regularly. My mother in law made us a second one with foam covered in material, or you could also just used a folded up towel
• Smock (Ikea or similar) - this protects clothes, especially sleeves! We don't use that much these days, but can be handy.
• Scoop Bib - The smock is optional but the scoop bib is essential. Using both, just put the scoop bib over the smock. The scoop bib catches lots of dropped pieces and an older baby soon works out how to fish those out for a second course ;)
• Drop sheet - Food will fairly regularly be accidentally flung or dropped to the floor. If you are lucky enough to have a dog, let them help with clean up! ;) Some people use plastic 'splat mats' and we started off with shower curtains too but ultimately found sheets were best. I used a collection of flat cot sheets (cos I had no other use for them!!!) and also cut up old bed sheets. I preferred these because it meant that dropped food still in good shape could be quickly picked up and put back on the tray. After a meal (or at the end of the day, let's be realistic!), any mess could be flicked outside or into the sink, and when the sheet gets grubby, it gets tossed in the wash. I prefer a washable sheet over a plastic mat I had to get onto my knees to wipe and clean - but that's just my preference!

The idea with BLW is that you simply place good, appropriate food choices on the high chair tray. And that's it. Haha - but seriously, that is it. Let them decide what to eat, how to eat, and how much to eat. Initially they may ignore it, knock it off the tray or even devour the lot in one go. But you kinda just trust that if they are hungry and developmentally ready to eat - then they will! Some kids will just play/explore for days or even weeks. Some start actually consuming (as evidenced by the nappies/diaper the next day) from the first opportunity. Every kid is different but it's a matter of stepping back and letting them lead. Try not to stress, coax, hover or feed. Just enjoy your meal and let them enjoy theirs! Soon they will start picking up the food and working out how to get it into those tiny mouths. It is truly fascinating and wonderful to watch. Clever babies! 

Hungry boy needed plenty of options ;)
PS Wow, these old photos are reminding me how many changes we have made to this house - old wall
heater and fireplace are now long gone!

But won't my baby choke??

Some parents get concerned about choking. Again... the book explains this in better detail, but basically, if a baby is allowed to control the food themselves, they actually do a great job at not choking themselves! A baby's natural gag reflex - which pushes food out of the airway - is easily mistaken for choking but they are not the same thing.

There is a BIG difference between choking and gagging. As the mantra goes - red is good, blue is bad. If they are red faced, gagging, spluttering and spitting - DON'T WORRY (or at least, try your best to not LOOK worried as they will surely pick up on your stress even if they aren't actually in danger!!!). Just watch closely but try to look cool about it ;) Numerous times I have seen my kids gag, spit something up and then happily continue eating without missing a beat. Unphased. This is because babies gag reflex is actually MUCH closer to the front of the mouth at this age. Not right at the back of the throat like an adult's is. God is pretty clever with His design, huh? ;) So they gag when the food is only half way down, which is teaching them to safely manage food in their mouths without being in actual danger of choking - it's just an inbuilt safety mechanism they were designed with. As an aside, purees actually over ride this safety control, because they are sucked to the back of the throat from a spoon. 

Anyway, gagging is fine, just part of them working it out. Actual choking is when the airway is blocked - they go blue in the face, SILENT - because their airways are blocked. This is serious and urgent and you immediately realise the difference between choking and gagging - two horrifying worlds apart. This is when you grab them out of their highchair (if they aren't coughing it up themselves), put them face down and upside down over your knee and give a few firm blows to the back. (I am no medical expert - see here for method).

This only happened to me once, when Lily was about a year old (so, when she would have been on finger foods anyway even if she had done purees). It was super scary but she was thankfully fine. 

All in all, a child who can confidently learn to manage their own food is going to be less likely to choke because they so quickly become adept at managing their food safely before the gag reflex moves to the back of the throat.

Miles was so excited to tuck in!

WHAT we eat with BLW

Of course, the BLW answeer is 'anything' ;) but generally we have started off the first few weeks with fairly standard 'first foods' in easy to eat finger-food style. As a sentimental mama, all three of my kids have started off with the same first foods - sticks of steamed broccoli and avocado! 

The key is to initially offer food in long stick/wedge shape so it's easy for them to hold and eat. At six months they developmentally can't yet open their hands to eat what's held inside (awww, so cute), so if they hold longish sticks of food, they can more easily munch off the top, like with a broccoli stalk.

My kids quickly got introduced to other foods like sweet potato, potato, steak and chicken strips, watermelon, rockmelon, banana, rice cakes, roast carrots, and so on. Once the pincer grip develops (around 8-9 months), a whole world of other foods open up too like sultanas, pasta, etc. Pretty much, whatever we are eating can be offered - and as is my general way - I try not to judge what they would or wouldn't like - just offer it and let them try it and decide for themselves! (and yes, that includes spicy stuff too). I just avoid sugar and processed foods. 

'Mum, can't you see I'm eating here??'

Any downsides to BLW?

Ummm, the mess :) It can get messy when baby is experimenting and accidentally dropping and squooshing and so forth... but I promise you the cuteness and the sheer delight in seeing your baby explore and enjoy food is well worth it!

The Benefits of BLW

One of the core foundations of BLW is starting off a healthy, happy 'real' food relationship for life. I really think it does help create an adventurous eater with a diverse palate. Now having a 5 yr old, 3 yr old and 10 month old, I can say that it looks to be working out that way so far! My three are great eaters. Their palates do tend to naturally narrow and expand through certain phases as taste buds develop (and they have a couple foods they don't prefer), but they still eat widely and happily. We don't do 'kid food' - they have always just eaten what we eat - and often more than we eat, haha! 

Watching them explore, taste, and relish a wide range of food options from a very young age has been a wonderful thing to watch unfold! We have been thrilled with BLW as part of our baby days and can't imagine doing it any other way! (Ummmm, probably just because I haven't actually done it any other way, haha). Other benefits have been great fine motor skills practise, dexterity and a general independence in eating. Not to mention all that time saved from having to sit and spoon feed (and blend!). 

I love having our babies welcomed as part of family meal time. They eat when we eat, and they eat basically what we eat. No stress, no fuss, no pressure - just a happy, easy, part of family life. This really gels with how our family usually rolls, so that's I guess why it's worked so well for us. Again, BLW is obviously not the only way and may not even work so well in every family or for every kid... I am not speaking for all! But for our little three, it has been a really wonderful way to introduce the wonderful world of food to little hands and tummies!

Well, this is long-winded without doubt, but just wanted to record all the ins and outs in one place. If I have forgotten any salient points, I will add to it over time, so feel free to ask questions if you have any! I keep thinking of extras to add but this will be longer than War and Peace: The BLW Edition, if I don't wrap up for now!!!

All in all, in case it's not kinda obvious, we love BLW :) Easy, messy, food-loving fun which in my experience leads to adventurous, non-fussy, stress-free eating!

Have you tried it in your family? How did it go for you and your baby? Or are you thinking about it for your little one? Do share!

miles.stones // a six month 'half birthday'

Happy half-birthday to my little man! 

Half a year already? Madness!

Yes, it is no surprise that I got a little sentimental over this half-year milestone.... it's a big leap, especially seeing solids introduced. But as these posts are really about the month before (so, Miles' fifth month) I will leave the details of that messy goodness till next time. Suffice to say we have dived in at six months on the dot and doing Baby Led Weaning for the third time around is going great!

Anyway, this hear-by marks the half-way point of an amazing first year with smiley Miles :)

It has been, without doubt, an absolute pleasure! xx

Fingers.Always.In.His.Mouth

Routine

We are in a bit of a tricky phase where he is still on three naps which seems a little too much, but not quite ready to drop to two. Squeezing in proper sleeps and full waketimes is a bit tricky. However it does mean the day is pretty flexible in terms of being able to make up for short naps another time if we have to get him up early to go out or whatever. Depending on whether it's a school day or not, we are mostly looking like this...

7.30am -  Wake, feed, play
9 - 11am - Nap
11am-1pm - Wake, feed, play
1-3pm - Nap
3 - 4.45 - Wake, feed, play
4.45 - 5.30pm - Catnap
5.30 - Wake, feed, play (bath), top up feed
7/7.30pm - Bed
10pm-ish - Dream Feed

Not sure if he will be ready to go to two naps for a while yet, so may just shorten his naptimes to 1.5 hours as his wake time increases. We are both not quite ready to give up the dream feed yet either ;)

You can see all the blonde coming through... 

There is an awful lot of this going on. Hard to capture him flat on his back anymore!

Miles.tones and more...

Miles is babbling like a happy little chatterbox. He is saying 'Dada' and 'Bubba' quite a lot, which sends Lily into conniptions - she is sooooo excited to have him 'talking REAL WORDS, Mummy!!!!!!' and keeps trying to add to his repertoire! Quite amusing seeing Miles get so much coaching.... no pressure, little dude :)

He laughs and giggles and rolls and wriggles - and grasps for anything in range... and scooches around quite a bit too. Loves holding his legs up in the air and staring at them, haha! Not chewing those tootsies yet. Loves copying faces and sounds (when he is in the mood). Loves exploring your face with those little claws too!

I have been pretty conscious about not 'propping' him in unnatural positions, (eg sitting, standing, in jolly jumpers or walkers etc), but he is now in the highchair for solids and sits great and is so strong in his core! It's adorable to see him sitting up with the family. Seriously, the minute we sat him up there, he smiled SO BIG. Like, 'Hooray, I am up with the family and all the action!'. It was gorgeous. Oops, I am supposed to keep all that for next month but anyway!! He is doing great with solids via Baby Led Weaning.

He is still a pretty chilled little baby and I can't see him really crawling for a while, but we will see what happens... I know when he starts crawling is when the trouble starts, haha, so I am in no rush personally ;)
Surprisingly, no teeth yet! Which puts him later than my first two who got two toothypegs at five months. His bottom left one is alllllmost through - sitting right under the skin and feeling sharp but not quite broken through - we will see how long it takes.

Hmmmm, I can't think of too many other details to record here, other than hooray for a half-year birthday with our beautiful boy. Love this kiddo, just love him like crazy. I had forgotten so many sweet pleasures of this age - like how his little eyes track me constantly around the room and as soon as I make eye contact, he bursts into that mega-watt sunshiney grin. I mean.... ain't nothing better than that adorable smile! Exchanging wordless loving gazes with your little one is pretty darn sweet and I could spend all my time doing it. Alas, meals must be cooked and floors swept too ;)

Mum, you still taking photos?!

Oh, I do, do, do love you!

the family numbers game // on going from two to three kids

When we were thinking 'should we have a third child?', and all through my pregnancy with said child, I would eagerly grab hold of any mother I came across with three kids and ask (with no small note of panic in my voice, I suspect!) 'How do you do it? How do you handle it? Is it impossibly hard and chaotic!?'.

Now here we are - me with three - and I find other mothers often asking me the same - how is it, how is it different, how do I handle it... I guess also because two kiddos seems to be more common these days.

So I thought I would write a bit about my experience thus far (Um....disclaimer: I am less than six months into this 'Mum Of Three Under Five' gig, so not professing to be an expert! Just sharing how the road has been travelling up to here).

And I gotta say... this three kids thing has been.... surprisingly..... fine. Just feels like a natural transition and really, no big deal... Well, that is a pleasant surprise for sure! :)

It might go without saying but I will say it anyway (no word limit on a blog, haha) - adding new members to the family is different for every mother, every family, every baby - with a myriad of factors such as age gaps, genders, temperaments, and whether the baby's name has less than five letters and is born when the moon is in its third phase (haha).

But for us... the transition has been pretty smooth! After the rockiest and yuckiest of pregnancies, I am so grateful for that mercy! I love hearing from other mothers how they found each transition, e.g. from 0 to 1, 1 to 2, 2 to 3. As for three plus ?? You are just assumed to be a Wonder Woman, and I tip my hat to you, dear mother :)

These are some sibling shots from our Kiama holiday a couple months ago. They turned out pretty awkward but
still cute enough to share, I hope! 

For me? The transition to 'one' was just wonderful. Lily was a very happy and calm little baby and she cheerfully got toted around town like the world's most adorable handbag. Playing 'tag-team' with hubby meant plenty of time to get things done in the home, rest, go out, etc. She napped a lot, so that helped too. Generally, thanks to her temperament and a flexible routine we were into from the beginning, it was pretty smooth sailing. We loooooved being a little family, it was just so fun, and we also kept up a pretty busy life as she was just so content and happy to go along with whatever was happening. Yes, life changed but it didn't feel as dramatic a change as we had been told! Honestly, I felt I couldn't really tell many people at the time, but life with our baby girl was a delightful little dream and I kept waiting and wondering when the 'nightmare' everyone foretold would occur!

Transitioning to 'two', for us, was when things suddenly got serious! All of a sudden, we felt like a 'real family', not just a couple with a cute little buddy. There was more juggling, more man-on-man defence, less time for anything else and it was simply so much more organisation and work to go anywhere and do anything! Eli was a bit refluxy so he needed more intensive care, and he was just soooo busy from the very day he was born in such a hurry on my bedroom floor. Not to mention Lily turning two at the same time which is a whole different ballgame to a baby :) This was when we started to focus inwards more onto family life, and home really became our 'home base'. It felt good and right to really slow down after this transition, and acclimatise ourselves to a new pace of 'family life'.

I guess by the time we were blessed with our third child, we were already well adjusted to being constantly busy tending to the needs of little people - fitting in a third really just meant redistributing tasks in a slightly different way (and of course lowering the house-cleanliness standards once again, ha!). We were used to being eternally busy with kids, used to changing clothes, packing nappy/diaper bags, constant laundry, and so on. I had learnt how to divide my time and resources amongst children - so what's another one in the mix!? :) It honestly didn't really feel like it added much to the workload!

Going in for the smooch!

A face full of hair and kisses.

Now I am home with three little people. However, it seems very different from when I had a newborn and a not-quite-two year old - with the big kids being now almost five and three, they are very capable of playing or doing chores together while I feed or care for Miles. It is great to just be able to say 'Ok kids, time for outside play while I feed the baby' and off they trot! Lily can assist Eli if needed - or even assist Miles or me. She and Eli both race to grab a cloth to wipe up any baby spit up or to comfort him if he fusses - bless their hearts. Oh yeah, sometimes he fusses due to their comfort, haha.

It seems a far cry from breastfeeding newborn Eli whilst hoisting toddler Lily onto the toilet (no idea why I was doing that but I know it happened) or out of the highchair!! Plus, at their current ages, L&E are not only old enough to help, but also very much old enough to wait if they want me and I'm busy with baby. And learning to wait ain't a bad thing! Third babies also learn to wait too... and thankfully also learn to happily kick around on a blanket with their toys while I tend to the older kiddos. Yep, everyone gets their turn... including me getting a turn to collapse on the couch when all three of them nap/rest after lunch. Oh yeah, I very much need that down-time in order to make it through the day!!

I promise Miles is actually securely up on her lap even though here it looks like he is about to slide off!

The one thing I was really leery of was shuffling three kids in and out of car seats - especially with Lily starting preschool this year, necessitating school drop-offs and pick-ups 2-3 times a week. One simple school day involves 3 (kids) x 8 sessions of seat belt wrangling! Oh yes, I did sigh and whine a little about the huge physical and time effort required for a simple drop-off and pick-up but by almost two terms in, the buckling and shuffling now just seems par for the course. Mostly ;)

So, all in all, I am pleasantly surprised and very grateful that our transition to three kids has been so delightful and so smooth. Kinda just no big deal. Well, a very big deal, but you know what I mean :) Funny how so quickly you cannot imagine life any other way. What would we do with all our spare time if we didn't have our newest!? ;)

Miles is here to stay and we love, love, love him. Family life just feels so full and complete these days. We are in the thick of it, in the 'trenches' of the little years, we are busy, we are tired, we are stretched... but we are grateful. And we would not change it for the world.

This little series gave me a good chuckle. Eli was a little put out that Lily got to hold Miles for the photos... so as
you can see, managed to get his own piece of his beloved little brother!

miles.tones - three months

My sweet son has hit Three Months and with that sails out of the newborn phase forever....

This little Bear is winning every award there is for 'Most Contented Baby'. He is just so happy, so chilled, so calm.... soothes this mama's soul, I tell you what! He is a source of joy and delight for our whole family.

Happy Three Months, Little Miles!

Routine

Miles is still on a three hour routine and doing well. He is still sleeping through the night almost always and napping in two hour blocks during the day. So he is pretty much up for an hour then down for two hours, though I am starting to stretch out his wake times a little to 60-75 minutes... or as much as he can handle cheerfully! Kid likes his sleep :)

Here is his current daily routine which I thought I would record before he extends it (now he is a grown up boy and no longer a newborn)! It is a guide, more or less, of course - he is not a robot!

7.30am - wake, feed, play
8.30am - nap
10.30am - wake, feed, play
11.30am - nap
1.30pm - wake, feed, play
2.30pm - nap
4.30pm - wake, feed, play
5.30pm - catnap
6pm - wake, feed, play
7/7.30pm - bedtime
9pm - dreamfeed
11pm - dreamfeed then sleeps till next morning... rinse and repeat!


Shortly, I am going to try to drop the 9pm dreamfeed and instead give him a top up feed about 7.30pm before he goes down to sleep, then just the 11pm dream feed and then letting him sleep overnight. Also, due to life with two older siblings, I often have to wake him by 10am to go out somewhere, so that brings the routine forward half an hour and we just adjust during the day, usually by lengthening the catnap.

Breastfeeding is going fine (except I got another mild dose of mastitis last week - ugh!). He is a fast feeder like his siblings, never more than 5-10 minutes!

Relaxing after working so hard to reach three months!

Miles.tones and More...

He is cooing, gurgling, smiling and really chuckling. I just adore hearing his gaspy little laugh, and when he catches my eye and bursts into a huge cheesy grin, it's simply magic. Every mother knows how charming it is to see your baby express such simple joy at this age! It is just gorgeous and the kids are loving being able to interact with him more and more. They take great pleasure and satisfaction in eliciting laughs and smiles, and Miles is a very long-suffering babe enduring their well-intentioned cuddles, tickles and so on.

He has started batting his little fists about over the last few weeks or so. Trying to touch things but not quite able to open his little fists and grasp them yet. (Well, actually he has just started doing that a bit just in the last couple days, but I will focus on the past month). A week or two ago, we had the cutest little time together. We were snuggling in my bed, lying down and looking at each other, and he was flailing his little fists about in my face for about 15 minutes! Getting pummeled in the face is not usually my idea of a good time, but coming from my sweet baby, it was pretty darn adorable! We were just staring at each other while his little fists bumped all over my face like fluttering butterflies - it felt like he was just wanted to explore and connect with me. Awww, bonding time. Love it.

He is such a contented little baby. He happily plays on his activity mat two or three times a day, just staring at the toys, batting his fists and laughing at himself in the mirror. He will merrily kick around there for 30-45 mins - such a blessing when I have the other two kiddos to chase after as well! I have also been reading a lot of Janet Lansbury's articles on the benefits of free play for babies (and children of course - I'm already a big fan of that!), and it has really encouraged me to see how babies enjoy learning about their world and exploring their growing skills independently (and in their own time - we don't need to push them!). I don't need to stimulate or get involved when he is happy playing independently. He is plenty capable of making his own fun - even at this age! With two doting older siblings and, of course, all my cuddles as well, there is plenty of snuggles and interaction, but I'm also happy to give him space too to just 'do his own thing' - I love observing him lost in his own world staring at a ceiling light or toy, laughing at himself in a mirror or just punching his little legs and arms around!

Yessssss, I'm three months old!

So those incredible first three months are now over. A little sad as it is admittedly one of my favourite phases, when they are so teeny and snuggly and new. No more newborns here... ever? It is a strange thing to recognise - the end of a precious era (she says as she eagerly gives away all the baby gear, haha).

It feels like he has always been here and yet it also seems to have flown by. Was it really only three months ago that we didn't even know this beautiful little person who is now so seamlessly a part of our family? Funny how that happens! Family life seems to have so easily adjusted around our newest member...  like it could never have been any other way.


Baby Miles, we love you so!




A little collage of three months with Miles...

#1 - baby daze (2 weeks)

My last first year...






That's what I was thinking about today. Miles is two weeks old and if indeed this is our last baby, it's the last time we go through this season of newborn-ness.

*pauses to sob*

The desire to cherish this is on overdrive, and makes me aware that this stage is indeed a quickly-passing season. Night-feedings, milk comas and a bundle I can hold in the crook of one arm will soon be a thing of the past. It is hard not to get sappy and emotional when I think as each day passes 'I may never have a baby this small ever again'. Ok, ok, get it together, Kate!!

As this blog is probably as close as I will get to a decently recorded baby book, I thought I might do a fortnightly (possibly monthly - let's be realistic!) update on Miles, his routine and milestones etc, to track his passing through babyhood. It may or may not be interesting to anyone else! ;)

Late night feeds accompanied by my 'must you photograph me?' face

So very new...

Hanging out with Daddy

'I being gentle!'

Sooooo, where we at?

Still just pretty happily chilling out in our little cocoon  I think most parents have ages and stages they prefer, or just feel they 'get' a little more... where your parenting groove is, you know? Some may think I am crazy for saying this but one for me is the newborn stage! I really love it and admittedly find it pretty straightforward. I am well aware that many do not so much enjoy the infant phase... and don't worry, I have other less-preferred age groups (around 9-18 months for example!), but newborns? Love 'em. They eat, sleep, snuggle and they stay where you put them, haha! I even kinda bizarrely enjoy the troubleshooting of when things are out of whack. Of course, a million variables such as colic and reflux can complicate the situation but even with that (Eli had some reflux) it doesn't tend to stress me out too much. There is a rhythm (even amidst the occasional chaos!) and simplicity about caring for a teeny little one that I just love... and of course the teeniness that is so enchanting!

We are roughly following the Babywise approach and routines again, as we did for Lily and Eli. I know that routines are not for everyone, but hey, it led to happy, well-rested babies for my first two, so we are just doing what works well for our family. Totally respect every parent's right to follow the approach that feels right to them! The basic gist of what we are doing is following an 'eat, wake, sleep' cycle. Not letting Miles go longer than three hours during the day between feeds (e.g. feed sooner if he is hungry, but not longer... we wake him from nap if needed to feed). This helps him get plenty of calories and 'wake time' in the day so he learns to differentiate night/day. My baby mantra is 'sleep begets sleep' - the more babies sleep, the more rested they are and the better they will be able to keep sleeping! Overtired babies end up with  adrenalin coursing through their little bodies which makes sleep (good, solid, non-broken sleep) a struggle - leading to a vicious cycle of over-tiredness. So I keep a close eye out for tired signs and try to keep baby well rested - which means more sleep for everyone - bonus!

So right now the rhythm is - wake up from nap (already his little body is regulating so he often wakes up exactly at three hours, it's amazing!), then breastfeed (he is a fast feeder, normally just ten minutes on one side is the most he will do - but he is packing on the pounds so I know he is getting plenty). Sometimes he goes right back to sleep after his feed which is fine, but if he can stay awake he can do about 30-45 minutes of wake time (e.g. looking around peacefully, or more likely getting enthusiastically snuggled by siblings!) before he starts to show tired signs, at which point I swaddle him up, cuddle and kiss him, then lay him down drowsy but awake so he has the chance to put himself to sleep. Mostly if the timing is right, he just drifts right off to dream land!

At night time we let him wake us when he is hungry. I give him a 'dream feed' before I go to bed around 11pm - after this feed/around midnight is when he would sometimes have an unsettled period (I am pretty sure babies have a built in sensor so their eyes open as soon as you close yours?!) though in the last few nights this seems to have disappeared and he is settling down to sleep right after the feed - yay! He then generally wakes around 1.30am and 4.30am for a night feed. Then I wake him about 7.30am to start the day again - unless I'm feeling really zonked and decide to give us all a sleep in! Then it's pretty much rinse and repeat the cycle for the day!

So, that is our days right now - pretty much on a three hour routine. Of course, babies are not robots so that is just the basic cycle we aim for, but we stay very flexible - feeding and snuggling as the young gentleman requires! However, for the most part our days fall into an  easy rhythm, and it's nice to have a bit of predictability - for him, for me, and for the family... as much as one can with a newborn, anyway!

Well, at two weeks there is not much else to record! His job right now is just to look adorable, and he does that with panache! I am still obsessively smooching that delicious little neck. He is starting to be more awake and alert, gazing at me and the world with those deep, dark, blue eyes. Gaining plenty of weight - the midwife was impressed with how quickly he gained back and exceeded his birth weight. He currently sleeps in a bassinette at the end of our bed. The biggest miracle after having two extremely spitty-uppy babies is that Miles does not spit up pretty much at all. Let me tell you, it is a whole new world - a much cleaner, dryer, less smelly and stained world! I am seriously shocked at what a different experience it is to not carry huge clothes all the time and have constant spit up going everywhere.

When Miles drifts off to sleep he sometimes smiles and chuckles in his dreams and I know you can't call it a 'real smile' but it warms my heart just to see what foreshadowing of what his happy little face will look like in the years to come. My sweet little man - I can't wait to see your personality unfolding, to see you finding your place in this family!

Miles. Two weeks old. Our little Prince.

Hello there!

Sister had to pop in for a snuggle and a photo with her beloved baby brother!

Not everyone can pull off fluoro yellow, but Miles manages quite well, I think!

there is a baby in this house...

I thought I would share some photos of Miles' first week at home. You may notice that it's basically just various shots of Lily and/or Eli holding the baby as that is mostly what has been happening! Yeah... these two are obsessed with their new sibling. And yeah, the parents are too! He is the newly crowned little prince of this household - cherished, adored, kissed, cuddled and loved on almost every minute of the day. I am pretty much addicted to nuzzling his little neck... mmmm, delicious!

 I feel so grateful for these cosy little newborn days and am just enjoying soaking them up as much as possible. We are burrowing into our little home as a family of five and loving having time (oh, glorious time!) to hang out together and get to know the newest member. Finding our groove, establishing a routine. Miles is just a sleepy little bear, chilled out, snuggly and just-too-cute-for-words. I can't get enough of him! When he is not being cuddled it is easy to forget he is even here - it still seems a little surreal to have this new baby in the home!?

There is something so renewing about these newborn days, a chance to shed almost any other outside obligations and have permission to simply cocoon inside with your family... it's a blessing! Of course every now and then we welcome the outside world in...  newborns are so delicious, their joy and  freshness must be shared with friends and family - and of course doting parents like to have others agreement on how impossibly cute they are! We love visitors. But for the most part, we are enjoying quiet days whilst Mark is still on paternity leave - resting, feeding, sleeping, having fun with the older kids, taking care of long-awaited chores and to-dos around the house (well, that's mostly Mark!) and simply chilling out together. I know things will get a lot busier (and crazier!) once I am running all this solo when Mark goes back to work so I'm determined to embrace this short season while we have it. I feel good, happy, relaxed and recovering from the birth  and I guess also from the preceding nine months of sickness. Occasionally I am smacked upside the head by post-partum hormones (oh, yes, they make a mama ker-azy!) or overdoing it and feeling rapidly exhausted, but mostly - I am trying to take things slow, soak up these quiet family days and enjoy our time in the cocoon! 

It feels like our family is complete and we just feel so thankful to God for blessing us with a little Miles-shaped puzzle piece - he is the perfect fit!

Arriving home from the hospital... um yeah. this kid can
sleep in any position it seems!

I forgot to mention in the last post that this little green suit he came home from the hospital in is the same one worn
by his two siblings when they also came home from hospital. I will let the three of them arm-wrestle out who gets to
keep it in years to come, haha!

She just loves to hold him. She was devastated to learn she couldn't actually carry him around the house 'like a
grown up'  but has settled for constant cuddles in her lap!

Little brother wrapped in the arms of his adoring older sister.

Somewhere in my archives I have shots of both Lily and Eli in the same outfit, on the same blanket.
One day I will track all three photos down to compare!!

My three kids (!!!) with their sweet 'sibling welcome' gifts. Miles 'gave' Lily and Eli the Hungry Hippos game and a cool real stethoscope. Lily gave Miles the teddy, Eli gave the rabbit. All are a hit!

Two little brothers.  Oh, the adventures this pair will have!

E is so happy holding his lil' bro!

I walk into the lounge after getting a drink and catch this scene. 'I just cuggling Baby Miles!!' he proclaims
defensively lest I think he has been trying to pry his eyes open again...

First bath. Plenty of helpers!! 

He was (as always) chilled - loved his first bath and didn't make a peep!

Watching PlaySchool with her new companion. Don't worry, Miles was not
interested in viewing - he prefers napping!

Cutest little Aussie around!