30 Weeks

OK, so I've gone a bit overboard on the photos this week, but we have been busy and there were so many cute ones!  Carmen had to sit through a couple of photo sessions modelling her grandmother's knitted hats (I swear, my baby has the patience of a saint!).  She was a very good sport - below are just a sample of the many hats she tried on.  Carmen also started commando crawling this week, although sometimes she still forgets how and I have to give her a bit of a nudge.  She is also learning to stand using the coffee table as a prop - she has very strong legs and seems to enjoy it.  She has turned into a breeze baby - sleeping through every night (even through last night's heat wave!), and going down for two long naps a day.  She is a very happy baby now - sleep really is a miracle cure.  I am a much better rested mummy too!  We took Carmen to the beach with friends on Sunday.  She had a play in the sand with her friend Hannah, and apparently discovered that sand tastes good.  Carmen starts swimming lessons on Thursday, so be prepared for a lot more photos next week :)

29 Weeks

It has been such a busy week, I don't know where the time went!  The big breakthrough of this week is Carmen sleeping through the night!!  She has slept through from 7pm till almost 7am for three out of the last six nights - every other night.  I am convinced she is going to sleep through tonight too though - judging by the amount of solid food she ate today.  She is kind of going off her bottle (her formula is rather disgusting, I have tasted it), but she is eating meals like I can't believe.  I pretty much am feeding her everything, as the American Academy of Pediatrics is now saying that a six month old's digestive system is the same as an adult's.  Carmen seems to be handling everything fine and she loves mealtime.  And she is sleeping through the night, so something must be right!
Apart from this great feat, Carmen has been very busy visiting her grandparents and her Uncle Jay.  Today she went for a paddle at Narrawallee Inlet, which was beautiful.  She keeps me very busy - I have discovered that mothering really is a non-stop round-the-clock job.  No joke!  Except now I get to sleep better :)

28 Weeks

Well, this week, after a couple of practice sessions, Carmen learnt how to sit up!  She was super pleased with herself, as you can see by the photos below.  She also 'turned the corner', and is now a great little napper and sleeper!  Who knew she had it in her?!  Her new schedule is working wonders, with her two daytime naps, and then bed at 7pm, one night feed, and then wake up at 7am.  I finally feel like a slightly sane mother!  We even made it to coffee with some ladies and babies from mother's group.  Those people with easy babies just don't know how easy they have it!!!  Not much else to report, which I think is a really good thing!

The following are three not terribly exciting but rather cute videos of Carmen sitting up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iI8U60kO0w&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=3&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUD6doGGP5Y&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=2&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbaGOTl0JLo&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=1&feature=plcp

27 Weeks

Well, it has been a busy week.  Carmen turned 27 weeks old on Saturday (I know I should stop counting her weekly birthdays, but when is it a good time to stop?).  Her Uncle Jay flew in from Shanghai and they finally got to meet face to face.  Jay filmed and edited a cool video of Carmen getting down in her Jolly Jumper. Carmen also met her Auntie Beefer (lovely to see you again Beefy!), and they had lots of cuddle time.  Carmen has continued her swimming despite the chill in the water and the fact that this is a rather pathetic summer here.  And she also had her six month check up.  She is now weighing in right at the 50th percentile, and is in the 75th percentile for height.  Way to go Carmen, we want you tall and lean like your father!  And for those of you who have been telling me it is going to get easier...it is!  Carmen is FINALLY on a schedule, napping at 9am and 1pm.  I can actually make plans now!!

For those of you who missed Carmen's dancing video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ1hyw8RAPI

Carmen with Auntie Beef

Sunbathing before her swim.

Drinking by herself!

With Grandaddy.

With Uncle Jay.

The two babies of the family.

26 Weeks & 6 Months Today!

So, our little sleepless monkey is 6 months old today.  I hear it gets better from here on out.  Well, today was just like yesterday, so I am very doubtful!  We put her to bed tonight and after 15 minutes of screaming, she fell asleep, only to wake up 40 minutes later with more crying.  Following another bottle and some Panadol, and a full 1.5 hours of crying, she is finally asleep again.  She is still waking up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night (going on five weeks now, I think), and crying relentlessly.  I keep thinking she must be teething (thus the Panadol), but I can't feel any little bumps in her gums.  Anyway, I just keep hoping for a better night each night - maybe one night it will come...
We did do some fun things this week.  Our friend Ginny came for a visit.  We miss her, but we spent a lovely day with her drinking wine on our patio.  Carmen went swimming for the first time, two days in a row.  We took her down to the Ulladulla sea pool, and she loved it.  It was a little cold, but it didn't seem to bother her.  Grandma and Grandaddy joined us down there for a family swim.  Carmen also had a play date with her friend Hannah to see in the new year.  Carmie has also been practising sitting up, and she is now on to three solid meals a day.  So, apart from the sleeplessness, it has been a good week!

Video of Carmen learning to sit up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReja9wiv5g&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=3&feature=plcp

Video of Carmen's first swim:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BG4X6diQTE&list=UU21-zydO1IYNApoXHx_P8LQ&index=2&feature=plcp

Carmen and Ginny

Carmie and Hannah