Hazel's 3 month update || Baby diaries

11 weeks old

I know I said the same thing last month, but this month has been my favourite and has gone by so fast (is it just going to continue like that?). I have started becoming more confident as her mother and we have all been pretty happy. Hazel and I have been getting out and about, enjoying the warmer spring weather and admiring the spring blossoms.


Hazel has become even more interactive this month with a pretty constant string of ohh's and ahh's and general babbling. Her jibber-jabber is at its peak while I sing to her, which can be a mix of radio hits, nursery rhymes and general nonsense I make up on the spot, and she just tries to sing-along. She gets very excited and waves her arms and legs around when I sing the songs she knows, her favourites seem to be the ABCs, Row-your-boat and You are my sunshine. She still loves her play mat and being on the change table too. Along with all this babbling she is now dribbling more, blowing spit bubbles and chewing on her thumb (or entire hand). I've heard that this can be a sign of teething, as this coincided with her recently (11 weeks) starting to chewing her bottom lip. This makes me think that her lower gums are a bit sore, it hasn't seemed to affect her mood yet but knowing that I got my first tooth at 4.5 months, she may be the same.

Rocking that tummy time

These dribble bibs have been coming in handy

Sleep has been the other big change this month which we are super pleased about. Our little angel was sleeping 6-7 hour stretches during the night and smaller sleeps during the day at 9 weeks old, which we were pretty impressed with already, but she has recently started to build upon this. At 11 weeks she started occasionally sleeping 8 hours during the night (10pm to 6am) and by 12 weeks she is sleeping 7-9 hours most nights, which gives us a full nights sleep (as long as we aren't silly and don't stay up past our own bedtime). She has been taking much shorter naps (1-2 hours max) late in the day in preparation for her long sleep at night, which just gives us more cuddle time with her when Chris finishes work. She is still generally tired after about an hour and now lets us know when she wants to go to bed by having a little grizzle, rubbing her eyes, and yawning.She sometimes will yell out suddenly in her sleep, but then will return to her dreams as if it never happened. While Chris and I have been startled and almost jumped out of our skins waiting to see if it continues, ready to jump out of bed and get her.

I had another lactation consultation this month (week 11) where she introduced a feeding tube. This is a device that gives extra milk through a tube while the baby sucks at the breast. However, the nurse could see how reluctant Hazel was to breastfeed and how much stress is caused both of us, so she reassured me that it would be a difficult road ahead and not to feel bad if we decide that it's not for us. Which I am relieved about as I have been feeling guilty and inadequate about not being able to breastfeed her properly, I know this is silly and that "fed is best" as she is still getting all the nutrients she needs to thrive. In order to banish these bad feelings I have been reminding myself that a happy mum and happy baby is the end goal and I give her lots of extra cuddles and one-on-one attention to compensate. While bottle feeding my expressed breast milk, we have introduced "paced feeding" and still use a newborn teat in order draw out and slow down to process to stop her guzzling it in one go. She has now become more contented and patient with her feeds, and she knows the routine of getting fed when she wakes up, so she is happier to wait and smile at us first, rather than going straight into meltdown mode.

Postpartum Recovery 

As for an update on how I am doing. Postpartum hair-loss is no joke. I am shedding like a Samoyed in spring-time. You could weave a rug from all the hair I am losing at the moment, and with having fine hair it's all the more concerning as I can't afford to lose it as it is. I just hope it looks okay at our friends wedding next month. Fortunately I know that this is completely normal and is nothing to be concerned about. It is just the hair that you would have lost during pregnancy, but didn't due to the extra hormones you produce during that time, starts to shed once your body starts returning to its normal cycles.
Talking of cycles (TMI warning) I think I may have got my first mini period at 12 weeks. It only lasted like half a day (which I am grateful for) but it looks like my body is gearing up for making a bigger family already. Chris and I however, are not making any plans to expand anytime soon, and we will need to be very careful until or even if we change our minds. So don't go asking when Hazel will be getting a sibling any time soon. Understood?! Okay, good.

Oh yeah, I don't own a scale so I'm not sure when it happened but I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I also tried on my old jeans a couple of weeks ago and they fit too. Woohoo! It felt good to dig through my clothing storage bins and add a few pieces back into my wardrobe. Although my body has certainly changed and my tummy doesn't look the way it used to, I'm not putting any pressure on myself to "bounce back" since it took 9 months to get to my biggest, it's only fair to allow 9 months to return to normal.

I couldn't resist dressing her up in this pumpkin outfit for an early Halloween. Don't mind the substitute orange jack-o-lanterns, we didn't have any mini pumpkins to hand so I improvised.

Just as Hazel hit the three month mark we took a trip down to Taranaki for a family reunion which was a really fun experience and good to catch up with everyone but it also totally altered our usual routine/schedule. So it was interesting for me to see how Hazel responded to the changes. I was very grateful to have family there who we all too happy to comfort her when she was over-tired and allow a bit of extra wiggle room in their plans to allow for some longer naps. We had a busy schedule of long car journeys, walking and adventure activities. All of which had Hazel on the move and sleeping and feeding on the go.

Hazel with her Nana (my Mum) with Mt Taranaki in the background

Mount Taranaki

Sleeping like a starfish

Still in a good mood even after a long car ride

 

After spending a few days at the family reunion in Taranaki we all loaded up our cars and drove to Taumarunui to go on the Forgotten World Adventures Tour (Hazel included). Golf buggies on rail tracks took us along the forgotten world railway, through old pitch black coal tunnels (where we could see glow worms on the tunnel ceiling) and through the lush New Zealand country side.

We arrived back in Taupo on the Monday and took Hazel out for her first time on the boat the following evening. We caught 3 good sized trout and threw the small ones back, all while enjoying a beautiful sunset. Hazel was no trouble and the gentle rocking of the boat sent her straight to sleep.

Some people call the first three months of your baby's life "The Fourth Trimester" as your body goes through another huge set of adjustments and changes just like during the pregnancy. Getting your baby into the world safely is the first step, getting your baby fed is the second and figuring out what else your baby needs is the third but it doesn't stop there. Over the last three months my body has (almost) returned to normal, but it has been a long process to get there. My milk supplies have now balanced and I don't leak any where near as much as I used to, as my body knows how much my baby needs now. My sleeping schedule was all over the place in the beginning but we are now into a much nicer routine. My hormones have not been affecting me and my anxiety levels have returned to normal (low). We have settled into a good routine and I feel like we are winning at this parenting thing. Although, don't worry, I have been told that as soon as you feel like you've got it sorted, Baby will change things up. So I am not feeling too smug, but I am ready and waiting for Hazel to through me a curve ball, but keeping my fingers crossed that we'll make it work. 

Three month stats:

Height: 58.5cm

Weight: 5830g

Sleeping: 7-9 hours at night! Woohoo! Then she will have another long 4-5 hour nap first thing in the morning, and as the day progresses the naps get shorter.

Eating/Feeding: 150-220ml

Sizes: 0-3 Months (000)

Milestones: Much the same as last month, but she now likes to talk to herself (babbles and coos) while in bed or in her stroller. She has also discovered her hands and will occasionally stare at them and is starting to reach out to grab things.

Nicknames: Darling, Gorgeous, Honey Bee, Poppet, Hazel Mazel Mouse, Miss Madam.

Likes: Smiling at us, watching her mobile spin, getting her nappy changed, looking at the world map on our wall, getting a bath, me singing to her

Dislikes: Waiting for a feed, feeling left out while taking a nap.

Our wedding anniversary in Bath || Travel diary

Last weekend we celebrated our second wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast the last two years have gone. This being said, we took the opportunity to do something a little special and took a trip to Bath, Somerset. A place we had heard great reviews about from our friends. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Filled with good food, activities, sightseeing, relaxing and terrible Bath puns (because we couldn't help ourselves).

We caught the train from Brighton to Bath at 9am, so we arrived at lunch time. We instantly had good first impressions of the city. This was definitely helped by it being super sunny and everyone around us was making the most of it. We took a minute to have a picnic (lovingly prepared by M&S) lunch in a park nearby.

We then loaded up our packs and went to find our Airbnb accommodation. We stayed in the top story of a three level home. Our host, Mary, was lovely and accommodating and instantly made us feel welcome.

The Hairy Coo "Free" Tour || Scotland | Travel Diary

On our first full day in Edinburgh, we took a tour with The Hairy Coo Tour company. This was a "free" tour, in that we put our own value on our experience and pay at the end accordingly. Allowing anyone on any budget to get a great experience.

At 8:45am the sun was just rising and we jumped onto the bright orange mini bus, designed to look like a Highlands hairy coo (a.k.a cow said with a Scottish accent). Our tour guide and driver was Donal, the founder of the company and a proud Scotsman.

Our first destination was the Firth of Forth bridges, all three of them. Quite a confusing tile for a newbie to the region, but to clarify: there are three bridges over the estuary or "firth" of Scotland's River Forth. To add another alliteration to the mix, they all cross from Edinburgh to Fife.
Each bridge was built in a different century and in a very different style, this was to accommodate for the previous bridges "short comings".

So you have the Firth of Forth bridges leading to Fife. Phew...I reckon they might as well add another bridge into the mix just to make it more difficult.

The two bridges from the 19th and 20th century are easily visible in the picture below, and if you look closely over on the far left side you can see the 21st century bridge starting to take shape.

Edinburgh Hogmanay Torchlight Procession || Scotland | Travel Diary

As part of the annual opening celebrations to Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival, there is a Torchlight procession on the 30th December. We decided to be a part of the tradition, and carry a torch ourselves, along with 8,000 other participants!

Incredible Bonfire night in Lewes || The Brighton side of life

Lewes is the Bonfire capital, boasting the worlds largest Bonfire Night celebration on the 5th of November, with 3,000 participants and 80,000 expected spectators. This small town of 16,000 locals, grows immensely for this annual tradition.

"Imagine a head-on collision of Halloween and Mardi Gras and you're well on your way to picturing Bonfire Night, Lewes style – barrels of burning tar, processions of thousands of fiery torch-bearing crowds, massive bonfires and firework displays" —Rough Guides, Daily Telegraph

We left Brighton at 4:30pm to catch the train to Lewes. The trains were crowded but running regularly to accommodate the mass influx of people. We arrived early and trekked our way up to our chosen vantage point, where conveniently, the Pelham Arms Pub was right across the road.

Monaco || Travel diary

17 June 2014 (Travel day 49)

On our third day in Nice we took the train over the visit Monaco for the day. We arrived in the Monaco train station and the difference between where we got on the train in France and were we got off was already startling. It was a very fancy train station with polished marble walls and floors. Not the usual for European train stations in my experience.

 For those of you who know Chris, he is a big petrol head and loves his cars. So as we exited the train station he suddenly got all excited and I had no idea why. He had instantly recognized the road we had come across as part of the Monaco F1 Grand Prix road race which he has both watched on TV and played on racing games. It was an unexpected novelty for him that was completely lost on me. Even though the race was not happening while we were visiting, you can still see the red and white striped ripple strips (on the left side of photo)

Most of our time in Monaco was spent admiring the expensive cars, expensive yachts, expensive buildings and beautiful vistas. There is certainly a lot of wealth here.

 

 We followed Chris's nose as he had a vague idea where some of the sites were just from playing video games. We walked up the hill and found a Casino which was surrounded by more fancy people and their fancy cars. Plus a few nosey tourists like ourselves. We attempted to have a look around the casino but got denied due to the dress code. Chris wasn't allowed in due to him wearing shorts and sneakers. So I had a quick squiz inside and then rejoined him outside.

 We walked the immaculately clean streets as the sun went down and the city lights came on. Spotting exotic cars as they roared past.

Quick Summary (TL;DR)

Duration of stay: An afternoon
Was it enough time?: Yes, we couldn't afford to stay the night.
Where we stayed: Back in Nice
Time of Year: June

Best memories: Looking out at the majestic ocean views from the hillsides and walking hand in hand with my "under-dressed" husband
Worst memories: Getting denied from the Casino
Top tip: Even if it is hot as balls, wear light weight pants and dress shoes

Next time: We would time our trip to watch the Rallye Monte-Carlo
Monaco in a few words:Wealth, Luxury, Exclusive
Recommended?: Yes, worth a day trip to see how the 1% live. We wouldn't bother paying the crazy hotel prices there though when it is so easy to travel from Nice.
Overall experience:7/10
Next destination: Nice, France

Florence: A Scenic Fiat 500 Tour and Scientists || Travel Diaries

Florence (Travel day 44)

June 12 (Day 1)

Shortly after our bus arrived in Florence we went on a walking tour of the city, which is one of the best ways to get to know a new place.

We stopped to admire the beautiful and intricately detailed Duomo di Firenze (Florence Cathedral) which we entered later in our visit. Which is interesting and unique from all angles.

We walked past an outdoor replica of the Michaelangelo's statue of David in Plazzo della Signoria

Then we ventured down through a walkway next to the Uffizi Gallery admiring the monuments of the influential people of history with ties to Florence, such as Galileo and Michaelangelo.

The hallway then opened out onto the river revealing the most photographed and well known bridge in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio. With it's shops and stalls seemingly precariously balanced on either side.

We then went into a small leather tanning studio to learn all about the process of working with leather, all the while getting a sales pitch by one of the workers who was demonstrating their fine craft.

As all good tours should end, we went out for drinks with some of our newly made friends afterwards. We opted for the taped keg of beer with a firework on-top, as you do.

On our walk back to our hostel we came across a wall with money taped to it, not sure what that was all about, but it looked pretty cool.

On our second day in Florence it was raining, so we took the opportunity to do some indoor activities such as look inside the Duomo and admire it's painted dome.

We opted not to walk around the second level (closer to the dome) due to the line being outside and very wet. Poor old sods, I hope it was worth it.

Random sign graffiti 

We later went out for Florentine steaks for dinner and limoncello with friends.

On our final day in Florence, it was a beautiful day, and good thing too, as we took a scenic Fiat 500 tour to various locations through the Tuscan countryside. Chris got to drive us about in an original 1950's Fiat 500 and we made a convoy with our other tour mates who were also in Fiat 500's and a Vespa scooter. We surely turned some heads as we drove through the narrow winding lanes (only big enough to fit a car of this size) on our way to picturesque vineyards, monasteries and scenic lookout locations.

Look at that smile. Chris relished this experience, finding it very novel to drive such an iconic and tiny car in a place so fitting. While also constantly using the wrong hand to reach for the gear stick, and instead hitting the car door.

Our first stop was at the Basilica San Miniato al Monte which is a church sitting a hill overlooking central Florence.

As we entered we could hear the haunting chanting of a robed monk who was swinging around incense behind the partition. This helped to make the feeling within the church all the more impactful.

Our sweet ride

We then took a winding drive over to another picturesque vista to see where a group of cloistered monks live and work.

Then stopping to see and sample some of the vineyard grapes and olive groves we have been passing through.

Our last stop on the tour included shaved meats, cheese platters and wine tasting. Mmmm.

So tiny!

After our tour had finished we made a quick stop to the Galileo Museum and took a quick pic with David.

Quick Summary (TL;DR)

Duration of stay: 3 nights
Was it enough time?: Yes, we ticked everything off our list
Where we stayed: Can't remember sorry

Time of Year: June
Best memories: Taking the Fiat 500 tour, it was a novelty to drive about in such tiny cars but the locations we visited were also brilliant 
Worst memories: Leather tanning demo a.k.a sales pitch
Top tip: Get out of the city into the Tuscan countryside. You won't regret it.

Next time: Eat and drink at more small family run restaurants
Florence in a few words: Influential, Tuscan, Delicious
Recommended?: Yes
Overall experience:8/10, the museums were nothing to boast about but the Fiat tour made up for it.
Next destination: Nice, France