April at 19 months old – how did that happen!?

My fun loving monkey

April is growing up very quickly – it’s hard to think she’s 19 months old…where did that time go!?  It’s so true that children grow so quickly and I don’t think you quite appreciate it until you actually see your own child growing in front of your eyes!

I’ve not posted in a while as I have been super busy.  The other night it struck me what a juggling act being a Mummy and running a business is.  I was managing some Twitter posts for a client before I went to bed – work head on, in the “zone” next minute April started screaming and I then had to flip so quickly into Mummy mode to soothe her.  When I’m not with April I’m working and then when I’m not working I’m with April – it’s hard to fit anything else inbetween.  There are times that it can be hard if I’ve got work deadlines, but I’ve got the best of both worlds that I can work, yet be a Mummy who spends a lot of time with their child.  It’s hard, but I love it and wouldn’t change it for the world.

I do not want to get dressed!

So, April is developing really quickly, growing, talking, getting a mind of her own.  She has this cheeky nature that can be really cute, yet infuriating at times.  I guess that determination is what got her here and hopefully she can use it well in the future, but I think we’re going to have some battles.  Like most toddlers she just laughs in my face and runs off when I’m trying to change her bum, or get her dressed after bath time and she fights going to sleep – she doesn’t want to miss out on the action.  She is also nosey – swimming lessons are a nightmare as she just wants to watch the lifeguard and everyone else instead of concentrating on swimming!

She’s now in 12-18 months clothes and even then they are still sometimes big for her – her leggings often resemble MC Hammer pants!  I don’t look at her and think she’s small anymore, she seems to have caught up.  We’ve not been to have her weighed recently, so I’m not sure on her weight in comparison to others.  She seems like she is  going to be tall as her trousers are often half mast, or dresses short, she is just petite elsewhere.  Perfect to us!

Tea time entertainment

She’s not a big eater – she likes what she likes.  LOVES cheese, sausages, eggs and bacon, toast and crisps.  Not to keen on chocolate or cake.  She goes through phases with fruit and vegetables – sometimes munching down everything then the next pushing it away.  She doesn’t like to be fed anymore and insists on feeding herself – often ending up with most of it on her face.  She has a habit of drinking when she doesn’t want to eat, then gets mad when you take the cup away.  You also know when she’s finished as the plate ends up on her head, with her saying ‘hat’.

Her talking is coming on wonderfully and her vocabulary is expanding each day – she even counted to 4 the other day.  I couldn’t believe my ears.  Every day she comes out with all sorts of words and phrases.  She loves books and would grab a book over a toy any day and I think that is where she is learning a lot of it from.  In the last couple of weeks she’s started wanting to read more advanced books that she is getting off Eve’s bookshelf, like Topsy & Tim and the Biff & Kipper books.  I’ll keep encouraging her – we may have a young Matilda on our hands.  No mean feat being born 10 weeks early – I’ve been looking for signs of learning disabilities, but I’m sure we’re not going to have any problems.

 

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Above everything April loves her cuddles.  She is such a loving little girl giving kisses and cuddles to us all the time.  She has started cuddling my leg when I’ve not picked her up, or just throwing her arms round me, which just melts my heart.  It’s little things like that just make any bad day great!

Our little girl

 

Such a big girl!

At 17 months old, April has turned from a baby into a little girl.  it is so cliched to say time goes fast, but when you have a baby it really does.  I can’t believe the rate at which they grow and develop.  When April was in the hospital it seemed like nothing happened for ages and then all of a sudden she’d have a spurt of development; whether that was putting on weight, learning to breathe or feeding.

 

Every month it seems like she just comes on leaps and bounds and is developing so quickly.  So, she started walking in the last couple of months, but now is attempting running.  She is so sturdy on her feet and just goes for it.  She wants to be ‘in’ everything, constantly exploring the house and everything in it.  I have had to put all the trinkets and ornaments away and everything is picked up, kissed, used as a phone, or thrown down.

 

April’s first trial with a spoon!

She is going great guns on her eating now too.  She has always been like a little bird and would only eat if we fed her.  Now she is getting more confident as she has discovered the spoon and what she can do with it.  All started well until it gets launched across the kitchen.  Food mainly now ends up all over her face, in her hair or on the floor, but at least she’s feeding herself, which takes the pressure off a bit.

 

 

Cheeky chops

Her speech is also really coming along and she is starting to copy more of what we’re saying.  You can tell she really understands you as well, which is so much easier for communication.  I don’t think it’ll be long before we’re having conversations.  Though I think she is going to be a total chatter box!

 

She has gone slightly clingy at the moment.  She just wants to be near Mammy all the time, following me around like a little shadow and throwing a fit if I walk out the room.  Oh and the tantrums she has now started throwing agagagagagagahhhhh!   She really does not like having her nappy changed and lying on the floor.  She doesn’t like getting ready for bed and finds it rather amusing when I have to chase her around the living room!

 

Tired monkey

She is also teething again.  We’ve had a few sleepless nights recently, which is a real shock to the system when she’s been sleeping 10-11 hours most nights.  The bloomin’ teeth are taking their time, though.  She’s had 5 for ages,  new ones have popped through on the top, but everything is just sooooooo slow.  I wish they would hurry up and pop through.

 

April is definitely not a baby anymore and it is just lovely watching her develop into a lovely little girl.  I often stare at her in amazement at how well she is doing and am always truly thankful that she has not had many complications in her journey from being born 10 weeks early.

Don’t stop me now…

Loves a good old box

April is now 16 months old.  How did that happen?  I don’t feel like I’ve got a baby anymore; I’ve got a toddler.  She is properly walking now and there is no stopping her.  It took her 2 or 3 weeks to become more confident from her initial first steps, but now she’s so speedy and potters around the house no problem.  At playgroup, she’s off – not bothered about me.  At home, it’s pretty much the same.  Trying to get into everything she can – emptying cupboards, opening drawers, sitting on things, climbing up things.  Her new trick is climbing up the footstool, on to the sofa and doing a roly poly down off the arm.

She’s always falling over or bumping her head, but she’s quite a robust little thing.  We had her measured for her first shoes last week and since they’ve given her great support – it’s like she knows there her walking shoes and she’s determined to show us how to use them!

 

One of the things the consultant said to us when we went for a check up was that we won’t know if she has learning disabilities until she goes to school.  I’ve never been too worried about that and the way she is developing I don’t think we’ll have any cause for concern.  She is doing things that I think are quite clever for a baby; stacking cups, reading books, making animal noises, responding to commands.  Phil says she’s just being a baby, which yes I guess is so, but I have nothing to compare her with other than other babies and children we meet along the way.  Considering she would be 13 and a half months if she was born term I think she’s cracking on pretty well!  Time will tell I guess, but I’m not worried about that.

It’s hard work this eating malarkey

As the time ticks on the journey through having a premature baby gets easier and the worries you have seem to be less and less.  They are the same sort of worries that all mums have – not the additional ones when they arrive early.

 

I sometimes feel like I’m a more confident Mammy now and know what I’m doing, but then other times I feel like I just don’t have a clue.  Everybody has different ideas, different ways of doing things, there are a million and one books you could read or web pages to look at, but I’m such a strong believer in that maternal instinct and knowing what is right for your baby.

Every stage of having a baby is totally different and it feels like when you’ve just got one stage to a ‘T’ the next challenge appears.  I have loads of questions at the moment – should I start taking her dummy off her?  Am I feeding her the right food?  When do I stop giving her bottles?  How on earth do I get her to use a cup (still refuses!!) What activities can you do to entertain a 16 month old…the list goes on!  I’m going to tap into my maternal instinct and just take it as it comes…as we’ve always known she will do things in her own time and when it is right for her.  I think Mum’s put too much pressure on themselves and worry what others think.  I know my baby girl loves me and she is doing amazing and that is all that matters!

In Daddy’s running vest

Hubby deserves a big cheer today as well.  He is currently training for the London Marathon and running in aid of BLISS (the charity for premature babies) though he is suffering from an injury at the moment.  He is so passionate about his training and doing the marathon for April and just hope this setback doesn’t stop him- we are so proud of him!  My Mam is also doing a skydive for BLISS to help towards our fundraising efforts – she’s just crazy.  There is no way I would throw myself out of a plane…I’ll stick to organising events thank you!

 

We are raising money for BLISS, Middlesbrough NICU & Carlisle SCBU to say thank you to those people who helped bring April into the world safely and have looked after and supported us.  I write this blog to help other Mums who may be going through a similar experience see that there is life beyond NICU and that no matter how early they appear or how little they may be, these teeny miracles can grow up into healthy, thriving little children – hard work like the rest of them!

You can sponsor Phil here and Nana Carol here.

Proud Mammy moment – April graduated Baby Sensory!

 

We have a walker!

 

1 day old Vs 15 months old

Yes, that’s right – April is WALKING!  April is 15 months old, but really would only be 12 and a half months old, which is pretty good for a baby to walk.

 

Watch her here – I managed to capture it!

I googled it like you do and it said…

Most babies take their first steps by their first birthday. By the time they’re 15 months old, most toddlers are walking unaided, though often with uneven steps (babycentre). 

So, I think that’s pretty darn good!  A baby born so premature to be walking already.  I say walking, but I mean she’s taken her first 5 or 6 steps without holding on – it’s not like she’s chasing me around the house yet (or should that be the other way round!!)  Many of the other babies we know of a similar age are walking and some have been for ages, but when you think of it in her term dates, she’s spot on!

It’s sometimes hard thinking of the ‘what age would she be’ when you’re trying to work out her milestones and it can get confusing.  Through the whole journey, I’ve learnt not to sweat it (well not the little things anyway).  I count my blessings that our little miracle can even walk! I read on an online group the other day about one baby born premature, 32 weeks in fact and he’d only just started walking with the aid of a frame age 2.

I just try to encourage her now, but I’m sure she’ll be off before we know it!

 

Cheeky grins

At 15 months April is really getting a little character.  She is so cheeky and pulls the cutest grin when people smile at her.  She loves attention and laughing with people.  She has also discovered books and loves us reading to her – anything with noises or flaps she can lift up.  She is into everything and you have to watch her all the time.  I feel like a broken record saying ‘no, no, no’ constantly.  however, you generally only need to tell her a couple of times and she will stop…or throw a paddy!

 

I’m not sure what this paddy thing is all about – it’s come out of nowhere.  One minute she’s fine, the next if you tell her not to do something she starts crying and throws herself on the floor.  I tend to ignore her and walk off.  The soon stops her!  I hope this is just a phase!!!!!!!

 

Sleeping beauty

Talking of phases – the sleep.  You just can’t judge what she is going to do next.  We’ve gone through months of her going to bed well, then usually waking up 3-4am as her dummy has fallen out, or she is upside down in her cot.  Then for a week or so it was amazing – she was sleeping from 7pm to 7am.  I didn’t know what to do with myself…all this sleep.  I started not being able to get to sleep at night as I had not had a broken sleep and almost had too much sleep.  You forget how good it feels.  I was a bit hyper and so much energy.  However, it’s not lasted long.  She always goes down really well, but we’re back to waking in the night..and worse of all waking up at 5am and screaming!!!!  Sometimes I can get her back to sleep, but generally, she’s up at 5.45am.  ON the plus side she is now having 2 good naps in the day – that was nnon-existentbefore!  I am hoping this is a short phase and she goes back into the 12 hour shift – it was bliss while it lasted!

 

 

She’s gonna be trouble!