25 Weeks & Christmas

Well, Carmen has just enjoyed her first Christmas.  It was low-key and low-stress, and a really nice time.  She received lots of presents but needed help unwrapping them all.  We had Grandma and Grandaddy over for breakfast and presents, and then lunch was at their place, which turned into an all day event and an overnight stay by the three of us.  The weather was perfect, and Carmen was very excited by all her gifts.  It is really great to get new toys and activities for her, because all of a sudden she is bored by all of her old toys.  Grandma and Grandaddy got her a Jolly Jumper, which she absolutely loves.  She got new activity toys, bath toys and some very cute clothes!  Jeffrey and I didn't do too badly ourselves, and we are enjoying Jeff's first Christmas not in hospitality in a very long time!

Our little Monkey's sleeping habits are still all over the place, and I am looking forward to the day when I can actually predict what she will be doing from one hour to the next!  Her new thing is rolling over in bed and then crying hysterically until we come and turn her back over.  We have tried patting her to sleep on her tummy, leaving her to cry, and the ever popular no-eye-contact-flip-her-back-over method.  Nothing is taking at the moment.  Hopefully she will learn to enjoy falling asleep on her tummy, or I am going to be one cranky and tired mum.  She is growing like crazy and I am interested to see how much she weighs and measures at her 6 month check-up, which should happen in a week or two.  She is also getting stronger and can almost sit up by herself - her max is about 10 seconds.  I keep getting told that things get easier after 6 months.  I have my doubts...

Two videos of Carmen in her Jolly Jumper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFO7x7z7LLY&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=3&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6DVN_ObuS8&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=1&feature=plcp

24 Weeks

It has been a busy week!  Oma and Opa arrived from Switzerland and Carmen finally got to meet them.  It was lovely to see them again, and Carmen took to them very well.  We just wished they lived closer and could visit more often!

The weather was lovely (despite this being the coldest and rainiest summer ever!) and we made it for several beach walks.  Carmen is enthralled by the ocean - as long as she doesn't have to touch it, that is.

Carmie's sleep is still terrible, with two hours of insomnia each night.  However, for the last two nights her two hour wake-up has been from 8pm to 10pm.  Woo hoo!  And then she has slept through to 6:30am!  I'll take that any day!  Fingers crossed that this is here to stay.  She is also eating solids like a champ and has not refused a single food yet.  She opens her mouth like a happy goldfish, it is very cute.

Tonight Grandma and Grandaddy are taking care of her, so Jeffrey and I have the night off.  I wish I knew an icon for an insanely happy face, because I would insert it right here. 

Two videos of Carmen eating dinner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjhLVbBgQzo&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=2&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJqZg03x-OM&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=1&feature=plcp

23 Weeks

Well, it has been a very exciting but extremely tiring week!  Our friend Darren (Uncle Stretchy) was staying with us.  Carmen took to him and he was lovely company.  Despite the crap weather he got to see the sights and swim at the beach, and saw why we love it so much here.  Grandma and Grandaddy came home from their two month stay in Phuket, and yes, we were very happy to see them!  Thanks Grandma for babysitting Carmen for two days as soon as you got home!  We put up our first family Christmas tree (the 'small' tree Darren and Jeffrey brought back for us had to have at least two feet sawn from it!).  And Carmen's Auntie Georgia hosted a pre-Christmas family get together where Carmen got to meet her extended family, including her cousins Rufus and Lucy.  It was a busy week!  And to top it all off, Carmen is still suffering from her night insomnia and so am I :(  Every single night she is up for at least an hour and a half, with a few extra wake-ups here and there.  Hopefully this is just a phase and it will end soon!  Or else I might have to put her up for auction.  Any takers?

Happy at breakfast despite the lack of sleep.

Welcome home Grandma & Grandaddy.

Carmen with her Uncle Stretchy.

With Cousin Lucy.

Both a little worse for wear!

5 Months! (22 Weeks)

So, Carmen hit five months on Friday!  She is such a big girl, she now eats two meals a day from her big girl's high chair.  She loves her solids, and it doesn't seem to matter what it is that I give her, she opens her little mouth and eats it.  So, that is all good, but her sleeping has gone haywire again.  I take complete responsibility - I have been a little naughty and have been letting her go to sleep on the bottle (it is just SO easy that way!!).  But it has caused her night waking again, because now she can't go to sleep without a bottle in her mouth.  She also has insomnia after her night feed and is awake for an hour and a half.  As am I.  Every night.  3:30am to 5:00am.  So, we have been going through a bit of sleep training again - although crying it out is more like fussing it out now.  Yesterday she cry-fussed through two of her naps, but today she is doing a little better - this last nap she cry-fussed for 50 minutes before going to sleep, but almost two hours later she is still asleep - yay!

Our friend from the States Darren is in town.  Jeff went to Sydney to pick him up and then they had a boys' night out on the town.  Carmen and I had some mummy-daughter time.  We are hanging out for Grandma and Grandaddy to come back from Thailand, and also for Carmen to meet her Oma and Opa next week.  Very exciting!

3 videos at bath time, 5 months:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsNnShPHa48

http://www.youtube.com/user/MollymookSally?feature=mhee#p/a/u/1/Y6dbodcH0jU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beWOp-cdki8

5 months old and in her big girl's high chair